Q: Hi doctor, please guide me. I am in my late thirties. I have lost a lot of weight and am 10 lbs frm my target weight. But my face is gaunt and looking older and wasted by my belly is still out !! What do I do…as it is my arms are looking skinny but my middle is still heavy. More loss may further make my face worse but I want a flatter tummy. Your advice please. Thanks.
– Tom
A: If you have been overweight neither you nor anyone you know well we be able to judge whether or not you are gaunt. If you have lost a lot of weight, everyone’s reaction will be to look concerned and ask you if you are all right. It is unlikely that someone meeting you for the first time will think your face looks too skinny. As to your stomach–sometimes, if you have a lordosis, your stomach will protrude some even if you are thin. I thinbk trying to look exactly right is a waste of time. I also think, although it is controversial, that being on the thin side is healthy. So, I think that if you are ten pounds overweight, you should lose the ten pounds.
– Dr. Neuman