Weight Straits

Two different new books on how to shed weight have hit Indian bookstores lately. One is by the Czech model-actor Yana Gupta,called How to Love your Body and Get the Body You Love. The second,Confessions of a Serial Dieter by Kalli Purie,is a personal account of how she got from 100 to 60 kilos. I always thought Gupta was naturally and beautifully curvaceous,but it turns out that she has struggled with weight issues since she was 16 and it has been a huge effort for her to maintain a slender figure. Purie,whom I know a little,has lived with weight problems all her life but has undergone a fantastic transformation lately: from obese to slim. Her book is brutally honest,with photographs of her changing body shape through the weight-loss journey.

Motivational real-life stories from people who’ve done it,always strike the right chord with readers since weight issues concern everyone. It’s almost like the whole adult world is seeking some magical formula to be slim,ideally,without having to work at it. Still,old jargon,spun around by a new author,can make for an interesting read,though most of us know what we need to do to lose weight: zip your mouth. That’s the only diet that works but it is also the hardest to do. So,we fall for fads like high protein,low carb or low-fat meals that work on the premise that you’ll be so fed up with chicken,meat or soya that you’ll lose your appetite and not eat at all. Alternately,there’s the Dukan Diet,similar to Atkins,popular among the French since it permits an occasional wine with red meat. In this season,it’s all the more challenging not to pack on the pounds since you can hide under huge jackets. And there’s a lot more socialising that creeps up before January 1,when it’s time to put all those guilty New Year resolutions to test: cracking the weight issue once and for all,in 2012.

Over the years,I’ve heard some hilarious and poignant stories from friends on diets. Someone I know,whose weight had reached alarming proportions,moved to Canada because he feels India makes him lazy. Sure enough,he lost 20 kilos in a year but once he moved back,he gained it all back. Another goes to a legendary Delhi-based dietician who has a unique,if slightly bizarre,way of whipping her clients into shape: she screams,yells and hurls abuses at people who’ve been cheating on their portions. She terrorises them into obedience,and even if they develop self-esteem issues after going to her,they end up losing dramatic amounts of weight,although briefly. Another serial dieter I know,now consults astrologers on how to lose weight,after spending lakhs on weight-loss professionals in Delhi. She is convinced the stars have conspired against her valiant efforts to shed the kilos.

But a life-altering experience that shakes your very core,like doing time in Tihar Jail,works wonders for weight loss. The stress of being in “jail” I imagine,helped 2G accused MP Kanimozhi lose five kilos,while other accused Shahid Usman Balwa lost 4.5 kilos. Anxiety suppresses appetite. Besides,it’s unlikely that they were relishing the meals provided in jail. Another accused joked on coming out that Tihar is the best slimming centre in the country,but the rest of us don’t want anything that drastic. Zipping your mouth and working out,indulging once in a while,sensibly,should work just as well. If only it wasn’t so tough. hutkayfilms@gmail.com