Brazil’s vibrant and sunny culture has always influenced customs and habits of social life, from the populated beaches of Rio de Janeiro to the lively celebrations of Carnival that spans the entire country; lately, however, a rather bizarre new trend is emerging in the world of fitness and aesthetic wellness: surgical six-packs. If you can’t get awesome abs from sweating it out in the gym, head for the plastic surgeon.
This phenomenon is growing at an exponential rate, people are opting for cosmetic surgery not only to improve their physical appearance, and thus keep up with social and aesthetic standards, but also to achieve a toned and defined abdominal look, avoiding compliance with a strict diet and a strenuous workout. A result that we could sum up with the expression: “Minimum effort, maximum yield.” The trend has exploded in Brazil, a place where physical appearance is highly valued.
To better understand this, it is necessary to relate the real-life case of Junior Carvalho. It all began when his wife of 29 years asked him for a divorce because he “ate and drank too much and spent so much time in front of the television.” Consequently, Junior made the tough decision to leave home and find his own place. At the ripe old age of 52, he found himself alone and no longer having to follow a familiar routine, so he began one hobby in particular: walking on the beach for a couple of hours every day.
Junior soon realized that he was losing weight and getting in shape and decided to join a gym where he was guided by a specialized personal trainer. But results were slow to come, so he discovered the procedure of ultra-high-definition liposuction on the Internet.
According to the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery, six years ago men made up only 5 percent of plastic surgery patients. But recent statistics indicate that last year this percentage ballooned to almost a third. Moreover, during the same period, liposuctions performed on Brazilian men increased by 46 percent.
Data and numbers on hand demonstrate the success of this practice, which, while expensive, is an effective and quick way to achieve aesthetic results without any kind of effort. In a society where appearances often play a decisive role over the innate qualities of individuals, it is necessary to reconsider the delicate balance between achieving aesthetic desires and the pursuit of genuine, authentic well-being.
Plastic surgery, though immensely popular in South American countries like Brazil and Argentina, is not economically within reach of everybody, but Junior made it his priority to buff up his body.
Now, more than a year later, Carvalho has found a partner who appreciates his new body–a woman 16 years younger– and happiness.
Heading to the beach and stripping off his tank top to show off his surgically achieved six-pack, he says, “I bought this belly,” adding, “When I see people looking at me, the sensation is incredible.”
