What Is a FUPA? How to Get Rid of It?

The definition of FUPA is the fatty upper pelvic area. Now, you can call it what you like, some say other choice words, but basically, I think we can all agree that FUPA sounds a bit better than... Well, the other stuff you can make up.

The mons pubis is the fat pad that covers the pubis symphysis area - the place that the right and left pubic bone meet. It is covered with hair and basically segments into the labia majora in females. In males, it protects the symphysis pubis.

Both men and woman may struggle with FUPA if they are overweight or morbidly obese. Fat is fat, and if you are prone to fat in the abdominal area, you may also get the dreaded FUPA.

Women are worried about FUPA for aesthetic reasons mostly. Men are worried about FUPA because the fat pad engulfs the bottom of the penis making it appear shorter; however, the size of the penis itself does not anatomically change.

Things You Can Do to Get Rid of FUPA

#1 - Lose Weight

If you are morbidly obese or hold weight in the abdominal region you may have FUPA. Losing weight will aid in decreasing the size of your FUPA. Of course, then, it follows that diet is key in this endeavor.

I am not talking about the “flat belly” diet. You cannot spot reduce in a diet. I am talking about real weight loss in all areas that will make you smaller.

#2 - Exercise

Exercises you can do to aid in the reduction of your mons pubis would be the same exercises that you would do for your abdominal area with the focus on the lower abdominal region.

You cannot out-train a bad diet. You can’t eat Twinkies and do a bunch of mountain climbers and call it a day.

Your FUPA won’t budge if you don’t watch what you put in your mouth. Get rid of the Twinkies. Drink at least 100 oz of water.

Whole foods are better... Pretty much for every person on the planet.

#3 - FUPA Surgery

OK, it’s not called that, but it would be cool if it was... There are a few ways to go when you're thinking of surgery in that area.

#4 - Liposuction

Liposuction can be done relatively easily and the recovery time is quick. This is usually done in a plastic surgeons office. Afterward, a compression garment is used for about a week.

The total “heal” time is usually 2 weeks. The issue with liposuction is that yes, it will remove fat cells from that area, however, that doesn’t mean that you can eat poorly and not exercise.

As with any surgical procedure, liposuction has its own risks - infection being one of the biggies.

#5 - Mons Plasty

This is the term used when the FUPA is partially removed and/or lifted. Usually, this is done under general anesthesia. This surgery may be used as a stand-alone procedure or in conjunction with a tummy tuck.

Likely, you have FUPA due to either weight gain/loss over time and pregnancy. It may make more sense to get a tummy tuck along with a mons plasty depending on if you have extra skin in both areas (the abdomen and the Mons).

Now, it's important to note that liposuction and mons plasty are not just for women. Men can also have this done. 

Weigh the risks out and don’t think with your second brain.

Liposuction and surgery should only be done as a last resort as this puts you at risk for infection. Also, in my opinion, getting surgery without changing your habits makes the surgery ineffective.

I have seen countless people get tummy tucks and the like and never change their bad habits. These habits can lead to weight gain, negating what the surgery had accomplished in the first place. 

Conclusion

People get fat everywhere, even in embarrassing places. This should not be a dirty little secret talked about when you have had one too many cocktails. It’s a real problem that has real solutions.

Women are more vocal about their FUPA and the aesthetic concerns it produces in their lives. Men are not as vocal as this may be an embarrassing subject for them for obvious reasons.

Everyone has a FUPA, it just depends on how much fat is covering their mons pubis. If this fat pad bothers you or you find it disturbs your activities of daily living, there are solutions that can get you the mons pubis you desire.

Diet, exercise, and surgical intervention can be done to enhance one's quality of life so that a person with FUPA doesn’t have to obsess over it. Surgery is a very personal decision that should not be taken lightly, as there are risks to any surgery or invasive procedure.

Diet and exercise should be the first line of defense against FUPA. However, if you have lost a great deal of weight, surgery may be the best or only option for you.

After losing 160 pounds, a tummy tuck was a viable option for me. Only after a serious debate on the risks and benefits did I go ahead with a tummy tuck, which pulled the FUPA up a bit. It is an individual decision whether to move forward with surgery after weight loss or not.

This is becoming more and more mainstream as people are having weight loss surgeries and encountering FUPA prolapse (a falling or deflating of the fat pad causing extra skin that is not full of fat to sag), so I would hazard a guess that surgery is going to be an even more frequent occurrence than it already is.

** Note that I could not find any statistical data on FUPA - i.e. like how many people have FUPA in the United States and beyond or what percentage of patients who have FUPA get surgery for it.