Consumers are notorious for hoping to find easy solutions to complex problems. Post pregnancy bloating and excess abdominal skin is a common problem for new mothers.  According to a recent ABC news story a new garment promises to return a woman to her prepregnancy figure.

With the obesity epidemic front and center for so many health focused media outlets, it was big news to see that a recent study actually  pointed to the health benefits of liposuction. 

 Most women can relate to the uncomfortable look and feel of a bloated stomach along with constipation. Not only is it uncomfortable it is embarrassing for many to talk about. Wardrobe choices can be severely limited when the stomach protrudes. But, what if it is not bloating or constipation? Could it be unwanted fat in the lower abdomen

 We have all heard the old saying something is better than nothing. This appears to be true when referring to exercise programs. Dr. O’Toole explains to his body contouring patients whether they have had traditional liposuction,Smart Lipo, or abdominoplasty, regular exercise and a proper diet will be an important part of maintaining great results.

 It is not always true that art imitates life. The new Capt. America movie takes a scrawny looking man and seemingly effortlessly turns him into a muscular super hero. It is not unusual for patients to believe that plastic surgery works like the magic of the camera.

  The new push to display nutrition labels for everything from grocery items to restaurant choices as people firmly planted on both sides of the debate. History shows us that most are apathetic

 Diet soda may seem to be an unlikely source of weight gain but some say that is not so. No one likes to have fat show up in unattractive places like the upper and lower back

 A woman’s choice 0f birth control is personal. Women have been given several different choices. Birth control that includes hormones is an issue with respect to surgery. Studies have shown an increased risk for blood clots in patients using birth control that includes hormones.

 A sedentary lifestyle can be to blame for body appearance as well as health. It is not uncommon especially for people who sit for long periods of time to complain of fat in areas that are unattractive.

 Patients have become accustom to taking one drug or another in an effort to ease a multitude of symptoms. Dr. O’Toole reminds patients who are considering plastic surgery that they must disclose all medications currently being taken. Some medications could lead to increased risks and complications when combined with surgery and the medications prescribed afterwards.

 Figuring out the correct amounts of vegetables, meats, and fruits, for a healthy diet is nearly impossible. Although it has become a bit easier patients should be aware that diet is only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to maintaining a healthy weight.

 Almost any mother would agree that motherhood in itself is stressful. If you add in working full or part-time it can become even more so. Dr. O’Toole helps busy moms understand that high stress can take a toll on a womans health as well as appearance.

 Men have different concerns about their appearance than women. For most men their hair is most important. Followed closely by their abdomen and chest.

According to ABC 7 a new study has found that a low-sodium diet may actually increase the risk of dying from heart attack or stroke, but the findings have generated some controversy.

According to ABC use it or lose it. You might have heard that saying in regards to maintaining muscle. But as we age, we’ve got a host of issues, such as work, family, aches and pains, which seem to get in our way of fitness goals.

As summer approaches patients have begun to inquire about what some call “The Mommy Makeover”. It is important that patients understand the  complexity of combining procedures.

According to The Los Angeles Times The gluten-free crowd is growing cranky. So-called prominent members of the “gluten-free community” are gathering next month in Washington, D.C., to clamor for attention. They want the FDA to get cracking on setting label standards for gluten-free products. 

According to The Los Angeles Times thinking about starting an exercise program to help lose weight? If you find some activity that allows you to regularly work out early in the day with the same group of people — and it’s something you like — then you’re well on your way

According to KTLA exercising or having sex could increase chances of having a cardiac event in the short-term, although the overall risk is low and decreases with regular exercise, a study finds.

According to Fox it turns out a beer a day may keep the doctor away, The Advertiser reported Tuesday citing a Spanish study.

The study of 1,249 men and women over the age of 57 found those who drank moderate amounts of ale and lager reduced their risk of high blood pressure and diabetes.

According to The Los Angeles Times a California lawmaker is targeting the obesity epidemic with a tax that would slap a penny-an-ounce levy on drinks sweetened with sugar or corn syrup.

According to KTLA question and answer segment:

Q: I’m just entering menopause and I’m starting to have more hot flashes. I’d rather not take hormones. What do you suggest?

According to KTLA knee replacements last — and last and last. We now know this thanks to a study presented Wednesday at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons annual meeting. But that doesn’t mean the prospect of such an operation isn’t scary.

According to KTLA a singer is being sought for questioning in connection with the death of a woman following a cosmetic procedure, police said Friday.

According to CBS 10 a survey conducted by LA County’s Department of Public Health finds nearly 14 percent of adults surveyed said they had been diagnosed with depression, up from about 9 percent in 1999.

According to KTLA Hot flashes are difficult to treat. Hormone therapy works well, but many women are reluctant to take hormones because of concerns about the side effects of long-term use. Natural remedies are safer, but several studies show they help little, if at all.

According to The Los Angeles Times we hate to nag, really. But maybe that wadded-up bag of Cheetos is a sign that your get-healthy resolve is wearing thin — and just two weeks into 2011. 

These 11 tips from family doctor Amy Balka in the Health Notes blog of the Newport News Daily Press emphasize exercise, weight loss and more. Here are a few that bear repeating:

“Cook at home. Not only is it healthier a lot of times to eat at home, sitting down for a meal together is also really important for the family as a whole. It promotes family bonding and mental health, she said.

According to The Los Angeles Times here is the way to make a resolution you can keep. Make sure your resolution is at least theoretically possible and the outcome is at least theoretically in your control. Meaning, don’t resolve to lose 50 pounds by tomorrow or to win $50 million in the lottery.

According to The Los Angeles Times anesthesia doesn’t put patients to “sleep,” as they’re often told. Rather, anesthesia puts the brain into a state of unconsciousness that’s more like being in a reversible coma than being asleep, a new study says.

According to The Los Angeles Times  so you like holiday parties, but not being bed-ridden with food-borne illnesses? A University of Missouri researcher has some advice for you.

According to channel 7  gaining weight as you enter middle age is a fact of life. But scientists say they've figured out what you need to do to keep as much of it off as possible, and it's even better news if you're a woman.

According to The Los Angeles Times salvia turned up on the pop culture radar last week after Miley Cyrus, caught on a video using a bong, said she was smoking salvia, not marijuana. So what’s the difference? Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have been looking into that very thing.

According to ABC news before the Thanksgiving holiday celebration begins, there's a lot of stress. But experts say it doesn't have to be that way. If you pay attention to what's most important, experts say you can save yourself a lot of time, money, and worry.

According to the Los Angeles Times patients taking warfarin to prevent dangerous blood clots should avoid herbal and dietary supplements because they can change the drug’s effectiveness.

According to The Orange County Register some celebrity watchers suspect that breast implants are responsible for the figure of singer Katy Perry, but she says she’s naturally so well endowed that she once wanted her breast size reduced.

According to The Los Angeles Times

According to the Los Angeles Times

According to The Los Angeles Times

According to the Los Angeles Times

According to the Los Angeles Times

According to The Los Angeles Times

According to the Los Angeles Times

According to The Los Angeles Times A national study published Wednesday finds that men with diabetes are 24 percent more likely to develop colon cancer than those without diabetes. The same risk didn't apply to women.

Previous studies have demonstrated a link between type 2 diabetes and an increased risk of colon cancer — but this study finds that men seem to be at greater risk than women

According to The Los Angeles Times state licensing hearings are set to resume for the fertility doctor whose in vitro treatments resulted in “Octomom” Nadya Suleman’s octuplets.