Turn slim 8212; The hi-tech way

One such centre, Personal Point, in Sector 7, Panchkula, offers guaranteed results to its clients. 8220;You just shed flab and get a perfect figure with just two one-hour visits to our clinic, every week,8221; says Shikha Goyal, the clinic head of Personal Point.

Although it is right to say that a health culture is missing in our country, with the prevalence of the general belief that one should have lots of ghee and milk which builds up the body. Though these products do provide nutrition to the body, but only when they are well-utilised by the body through vigorous exercising.

Eating without sweating it out only results in the accumulation of fatty tyres and does nothing for the stamina or general fitness level of the body. So, all those of us who have been splurging on eating and now find it next to impossible to get back to shape can visit the centre to attain their optimum weight and then maintain it through nutritious diet and a healthy routine.

8220;A holistic, systematic and scientific approach towards addressing the complete individual, while managing his/her excess weight is the principle of this clinic,8221; says Dr Shobha Kaul, the managing director.

With a chain of ten centres across the country and the first one in Panchkula in the northern region, the centre seems to have turned many flab stories into fitness stories.

8220;At Personal Point,8221; says Shikha, 8220;the philosophy is fat loss and not weight loss since the programme is designed on the pattern of weight management followed in Europe. The only difference is that herein India the programme has been designed to suit the local environment. The main aim is towards making the member feel optimistic and confident bursting with energy and self assurance. Thus we work towards the betterment of an individual in all aspects of his/her life.8221;

The traditional forms of exercises can only help to maintain the fitness of a fit or a near-fit person, but for an obese person, regular forms of exercises are of little help, says Dr. Sameer. He further adds that unless the proper scientific methods are applied, exercises can even lead to severe medical complications.

At Personal Point, the therapeutics team is headed by Nidhi Singla, a qualified and experienced dietitian and comprises counsellors and nutritionists, who guide the patient8217;s diet chart as per individual requirements. Nidhi explains, 8220;Analysis of body fat and its control is vital for long term results. The constant monitoring ensures achievement of goals. Ignorance, irregular habits, unhealthy lifestyles, stress and even depression often lead to weight problem.8221; Every member who joins in is briefed on the various Fat to Fit8217; programmes being run by the institute.

This follows an introduction to the exclusive machines used, then a free check up on the Body Composition Analyser BCA thereby knowing the details such as age, weight, BP level, fat percentage of body and its weight. Based on the results, a schedule is chalked out after taking into consideration the medical report and history, lifestyle and family background. 8220;Once theses vital details are taken care of,8221; reveals Dr Rohina Mittal, 8220;the client is given the next date according to his/her convenience. On next visit, details of her ideal weight, number of sessions and the cost involved is explained. The number of session vary depending upon the individual case history and gravity of the problem, ranging from 10 to 60 sittings, and cost is calculated at the rate of Rs 400 for a kilo of weight lost.8221;

The client is then readied for a zero session 8211; a preview with the counsellor and nutritionist who brief him or her on the importance of sticking to a balanced for the best results.

Nidhi explains that Personal Point has also developed a range of low calorie, high protein foods. These are processed and packed by PPCL at Delhi. 8220;The basic idea is to provide Indian food with high nutritional value that tastes quite well,8221; adds Mrs Shikha.

The client also undergoes a vacuum therapy on problem areas like abdomen, thighs, hips, thus activating the muscles at least 8-10 times higher than any form of exercise, says Dr. Rohina. Munish Sharma, a client was quite pleased with the results having weighed 163 kgs before joining and losing 11 kgs in three sessions. Mrs Kamal, a housewife, who has also undergone treatment at the centre said, 8220;I was earlier hesitant to join, but after seeing the personalised attention, I decided to give it a try. When I was to go for my cousin8217;s cousin8217;s wedding last week, the counsellor advised me what to eat and what to avoid. It really helped.8221; She reduced 15 kgs in four sittings and her target is to be at 60 kgs.

8220;The programme is based on multi-therapy approach and it helps to achieve weight loss in a natural way. There are no drugs used, no surgery, liposuction or deep heat techniques. Body therapies help in the body to use more calories and this combined with a balanced diet shows the results,8221; says Protima Pathak, the dietitian at the clinic.