A South Carolina man’s 300-pound weight loss photos set social media ablaze — but slimmer is left with extremely loose skin after losing fat too quickly
- A man went viral on Twitter this week after sharing his dramatic weight loss
- South Carolina’s Cole Prochaska lost 336 pounds in just under two years
- Mr. Prochaska now has excess skin, which he will have removed
Before and after images of a morbidly obese man’s dramatic weight loss have divided the internet.
Cole Prochaska, of South Carolina, lost more than 336 pounds in less than two years — but despite achieving the big feat, he’s still body-conscious.
That’s because the dramatic weight loss comes with an unwanted side effect – he now has massive amounts of loose skin.
Prochaska shared his results on Twitter this week he wrote, “It’s very hard to share a photo without a shirt, but I’ve come this far.
‘More than 336 pounds down! Most didn’t believe in me, but I believed in myself.’
Cole Prochaska began documenting his weight loss journey less than two years ago (pictured left). This week, he shared the results of his 336-pound weight loss on Twitter (right). His next step is body contouring, also called body sculpting or skin removal surgery
Now down to about 224-226 pounds, body contouring surgery is on the agenda.
Also called body sculpting or skin removal, this surgical procedure removes the loose skin left over after losing massive amounts of weight.
It can be targeted to any of the following areas: arms, breasts, face, lower abdomen, thighs, and upper body.
The American Council on Cosmetic Surgery states that good candidates for body contouring have reached their goal weight and remained stable for at least six months.
Mr Prochaska tweeted that if insurance doesn’t pay for the skin surgery, he’ll have to rely on a GoFundMe to cover the cost.
The Plastic Surgery Statistics Report 2020 estimates that these procedures cost anywhere from $4,000 to $15,000.
This type of surgery is considered major surgery, meaning it can take weeks to months to heal completely. Risks include scarring, bleeding, bruising, swelling and infection, according to the Cleveland clinic.
In addition to excess skin, extreme weight loss can also have health consequences if it happens too quickly. As you lose fat, you may also lose muscle mass and bone density.
However, becoming severely obese has more lasting consequences.
Regardless of size, once you reach adulthood, you retain the same amount of fat cells. When you gain a lot of weight, fat cells enlarge. If you lose a lot of weight, those cells shrink.
Fat can also surround vital organs, such as the liver and stomach. This is visceral fat, which has been shown to increase the risk of life-threatening medical conditions such as heart disease, stroke, breast cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.
Research also suggests that visceral fat contributes to insulin resistance, which may lead to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
a February study from Johns Hopkins University found that 86 percent of adults in the United States with type 2 diabetes were overweight or obese, as were 62 percent of adults with type 1 diabetes.
Mr Prochaska attributed his success on Twitter to “fitness, good food” and “at least 10,000 steps a day”.