As an inevitable fall-out of unprecedented lifestyle
changes, obesity has been raising serious health concerns. Increased awareness
of its ill-effects has in turn triggered weight-loss campaigns. As a growing
number of people search for the ultimate panacea, several business enterprises
from slimming and diet clinics to yoga and miracle drug/supplements are luring
clients with attractive weight-loss programmes and packages.
While there seems to be no harm in businesses wanting to
profit from this, medical experts caution against the process of losing weight.
“Understand the principle of losing weight, which is a necessity for a healthy
life. Don’t just blindly follow any programme or surgery. The ultimate purpose
of weight loss is to gain good health.” maintains Cardiologist/Diabetologist Dr
Digambar Naik.
Observing the trend over the last decade or so, VLCC, Goa
owner Asha Arondekar points out that there are two segments of clients who seek
weight-loss programmes. “There are the teenagers who want to emulate models and
the size zero fad and then there are the mature clients in the plus 30 age
group who seek health-related weight loss. And yet again there are a small
percentage of the not-so-serious weight losers who come to lose weight for just
an occasion or a purpose like wanting to find a match. For the majority,
however, once they lose the weight, they maintain it, returning for the
occasional ‘inch loss’. It becomes a way of life for them,” she explains.
In accordance with the WHO standards, the VLCC weight loss
programmes are a combination of modification of diet, active exercises and
passive exercises with external applications/therapies for muscle stimulation.
At a cost of Rs 8000 for a minimum 5 kg weight loss programme in six weeks and
corresponding weight-loss packages including Mom’s Therapy and Bone
Strengthening, it may seem a pricey way to shed those extra kilos, but as Asha
points out, “These programmes are more a preventative measure from fatal
diseases and medical conditions rather than a fad, and these days people are
very conscious of this aspect.” Following the four principles of
detoxification, rejuvenation, nourishment and maintenance at her Diet Clinic,
nutritionist Harpreet Pasricha maintains the same precept that focuses on a
lifestyle change. “We work on overall health and not just weight,” she
reiterates. “We design a plan for each individual only after we have assessed
their parameters. We do not believe in crash diets or supplements,” she says
while pointing out that Diet Clinic has varied packages for individuals,
children, expectant and post pregnancy mothers as well as brides-to-be.
Yet others have resorted to the net. Flagged for being
overweight, airline executive Jason Dias follows ‘Insanity’ and ‘T25’ on
YouTube to keep his weight in control. Over the years, it has become a
lifestyle.
For Box
Doctor recommends:
Principle of losing weight is to gain good health
Find out the right
way to lose weight. Don’t blindly follow programmes/surgeries
Get advice from a
proper medical doctor
Crash diets/weight
loss is unhealthy
There are lots of
supplements, both good and bad; seek medical advice before taking
