Losing is not easy

But pause and think: How often do we actually find such solutions for most problems? Then why make an exception for weight loss?

The situation, however, is not as dismal as I may have conveyed. My point is best illustrated by citing the cases of two lady friends of long and good standing: S and V. Both were heavily overweight with attendant health issues, when they came to me years ago. Both had desperately tried to lose weight through 8220;wave of the wand8221; methods 8212; without much success.

I explained to them their body types and personalities. And I prescribed personalised diets and regimens.

In the first few months, both had dramatic 8212; almost magical 8212; weight reductions and improved health. But over time, S has had a see-saw battle with her weight while V has managed to consistently maintain her weight and enjoys good health and improved self esteem.

There are many reasons for these divergent results.

To start with, S has, in general, very little self control and has emotional ups and downs, which make her stray from her regimen and she regularly binges on all the wrong foods. V has a steady emotional quotient and understands her food and her body very well.

The important thing to note is that I had not prescribed any extraordinarily strict regimens and diets. There are many causes for the success and the failure recorded here and they need to be discussed.

The point is that the magic for V came from the fact that she understood that the remedy lay in her making the effort to understand the situation and abiding by certain simple guidelines. Being overweight is not a style aberration; it is a compelling invitation to physical ill health and emotional trauma.

Distressingly, obesity is now becoming a common occurrence. Much as it means more custom for me and my ilk, I cannot help being distressed during visits to malls, airports, schools and social gatherings by the increasing cases of obesity amongst the very young, the young and the not so young.

It is not that the Indian genotype has suddenly changed. It is our lifestyles 8212; including dietary habits 8212; that are changing rapidly for the worse. Thus, among other things, we need to be alert about the kind of food we and our loved ones imbibe.

Almost always, I find that there is hardly any useful information available on food and on product labels. The government, health agencies and voluntary organisations will do well to take note of this situation. For instance, a simple label that mentions things like the sugar and calorie content in foods like soft drinks will go a long way.

However, to gain a deeper understanding of what works for weight loss, it is just as important to know what does not work. Thus, the instances of V8217;s success and S8217;s inconsistent achievements have some lessons for us.

Here goes:

8226; It is important to recognise that our bodies have their own inherent weight tendencies just as people have varying health tendencies. Unfortunately, most overweight persons assume that each of them can achieve the ultra slim looks of our some of our Bollywood stars. For heaven8217;s sake, that8217;s Bollywood, where almost nothing is real! Lest you think weight loss is a woman8217;s domain, you will be surprised at the number of men who seek and need help.

8226; Anoxeric teenage girls please note: not everyone trying to lose weight is justified in doing so and you risk serious damage to your body in trying to lose weight, by denying your body essential nutrients at a vital age.

8226; Though most of the time overweight persons can simply tell that they need to lose weight, the scientific way of doing this is to measure one8217;s Body Mass Index BMI and comparing it against a standard table. The BMI is the numerical value of body weight measured in kilograms 8212; divided by the square of the height measured in metres. Simply weighing a person is not the best way. Along with the BMI, the age of the person, his/her health profile and genetic pre-disposition to gain weight should be noted. The last point, in simple terms, translates as: were your parents, siblings, grand parents and such near and dear ones ever deemed overweight?

8226; Weight loss is a long term process and not just so that me and my colleagues can stay in business. Losing weight is half the battle, as S found out. Not regaining weight is the other half. That calls for a steady mind and the support and participation of family and friends. S had a husband who was rarely around. Some may deem this a blessing, but she had a roller coaster marriage. On the other hand V8217;s husband gave her emotional support and took interest in her efforts. No! He was not a wimp. In fact, quite the contrary. In addition, V had a very caring circle of friends who shared her anxieties and concerns. Her son also helped her by introducing her to a capable yoga instructor whose techniques of meditation made her strong emotionally.

8226; Individuals should be helped to recognise their needs and shortcomings both emotional and physical. Shades of Kabir8217;s philosophy will certainly help here.

8226; It certainly helps if, in spite of well-planned diets, one can recognise general food items along with their calorie and nutritional content.

8226; Here is the very latest! A newly recognised and very significant factor in determining body weight seems to be the amount and quality of sleep individuals get during the night. Amazingly, the latest research points to this fact and it also indicates that individuals8212;adults and children8212;can achieve good health and weight control by getting sufficient and quality sleep at night. So no more guilty feelings about sleeping long and well. Remember also to keep a sufficient gap between dinner and bedtime.

The following are the things that one should be careful about:

8226; Weight loss treatments abound 8212; some adequate, some ineffective, some effective but possibly dangerous. Stay away from instant cures. Take the advice of a professional. Sensible weight loss methods cannot promise quick fixes. Gradual loss is likely to be permanent and will not be detrimental to health.

8226; One market driven weight loss programme to avoid 8212; like public restrooms in a government facility 8212; is that of 8220;spot reduction8221;. Unfortunately, like politicians vying for ministerial berths, one part of the body will not give up fat in preference to another. Fat cells are market driven. They release fat all over the body in response to demand and this fat is used by whichever muscles are active. No exercise can remove fat from just one particular area. Nor can a massage machine break-up fat on 8220;trouble spots8221;. It just tones the muscles in that region to give the illusion of fat reduction.

The writer is Senior nutrition consultant, PSRI, New Delhi