You might expect calzones, fresh-cut carrots, slices of cheese and bite-sized goodies would command the spotlight at the opening of one of Warwick’s newest businesses.

But that wasn’t the case Friday at Oceanside Aesthetics and Wellness, located at 300 Toll Gate Road, where the attention was focused on how easy and painless it is to do away with body fat where you least want it.

Food was far from people’s minds. Rather, the focus was on Dr. Kristina McAteer, the wife of Cranston Police Capt. Vincent McAteer, and the devise designed to melt away body fat – whether on the abdomen, buttocks or outer thighs – during four half-hour therapy sessions over two weeks.

At times, two and three people were waiting to stretch out on a platform and have a grapefruit-sized devise coupled to a freestanding controller by an umbilical cord strapped to their belly for about five minutes.

“It’s such a funny feeling,” said Jen Gladding as those around wanted to know what it was like. Others described it as a tingling and a vibration.

Daniel Beers, district sales manager for BLT, which manufacturers the Emsculpt, said the device replicates in a half hour what the body could naturally achieve if one performed 20,000 sit ups. As he explained it, Emsculpt, which he said is FDA approved, vastly out performs the human body when it comes to converting fat to muscle.

A more clinical explanation found online says Emsculpt “induces very strong (supramaximal) muscle contractions, not achievable through workout. When exposed to these strong contractions, the muscle tissue is forced to adapt to such extreme condition. The muscle then starts remodeling its inner structure by multiplication of fibers and their growth.”

There are no injections or any special procedures that need to be taken before or after treatments. Beers said it is preferable to be well hydrated before a session.

While Beers said there are approximately 1,700 Emsculpt machines in the United States, the one at Oceanside is the first in Rhode Island. The machines are not cheap.

Preferring not to get into specifics, Beers said the cost of a machine is equivalent to buying a small house. Treatments aren’t inexpensive, either. A full session of four treatments, he said, is priced at $3,500. An introductory $3,000 offer was available at Friday’s open house.

“The current approach to body shaping is through circumferential reduction; however, overall body contour is affected by muscle structure as well,” said Dr. McAteer in a release. “Emsculpt goes beyond waist line reduction to address abdominal contouring through muscle tone, so I’m thrilled to now offer this combination to my patients.”

A review online finds patients feel tangible results right after the treatment and that positive results are usually reported two to four weeks after the last session and continue to improve for several weeks following the treatments.

Additional online review finds Emsculpt is best suited for people who are already physically active but need some assistance achieving the look they want, and it is not a good choice for those with implanted metal near the treatment site, cardiac issues, who are pregnant or have had recent surgery and are looking to lose substantial weight.

Doctors at Seattle-based RealSelf say in online reviews that fat loss will be permanent for those who maintain their weight, exercise reasonably, and have periodic maintenance treatments.

McAteer said Oceanside focuses on a patient centered model that prioritizes lifestyle choices, daily commitment to health and stress reductions “as we realize the importance of preventative care. Our aesthetic services provide the preventative care that is necessary to age well and keep you looking and feeling confident.”