Trim the fat the old-fashioned way<\/p>\n
The day after the second day of the post-fasting month holiday of
\nIdul Fitri, I was already bored. So I did what other city folks
\ndo when they have a full week's vacation on their hands.<\/p>\n
I went to a mall.<\/p>\n
Sad, I know. But anything other than another hour of an E!
\nCelebrity Yearbook special sounds good enough. At the mall, my
\nweight-conscious pal and I were confronted by the fact that
\nJakartans, and probably other big city dwellers, are getting,
\nwell, larger. Much, much larger.<\/p>\n
I read somewhere that one of the reasons foreigners like
\nMichael Moore so much is that, other than the Bush bashing, he's
\nso predictably American -- that baseball cap probably came at
\nbirth and he's fat.<\/p>\n
Aside from America's stick-thin socialites and most movie
\nstars, people the world over view Americans as huge. And not
\nwithout reason; the obesity rate there is staggering. Sadly, the
\nworld is catching up.<\/p>\n
Recent studies confirm that Europeans are getting fatter and
\nthe obesity rate among Beijing kids is at a record high. It is
\neasy to point a finger at fast food (fat food, more like it).
\nAfter all, it is of course no coincidence that waistlines have
\nstarted expanding as fast food outlets sprout in every corner of
\nthe globe like fungus during the wet season.<\/p>\n
A lot has been reported on the bad side effects of fast food.
\nSeveral years ago, America was rocked by the book Fast Food
\nNation by Eric Schlosser. This year, people are buzzing about the
\ndocumentary Supersize Me.<\/p>\n
Most people know about the horrors of fast food, but they
\nstill eat it -- gorge is sometimes a more appropriate term --
\nanyway. Which brings us to the real culprits in why we tip the
\nscale: greediness and laziness.<\/p>\n
Growing affluence means one can afford more luxuries in life,
\nincluding that extra helping of rich, moist, chocolate cake with
\nsmooth vanilla buttercream frosting. But since the world has
\nregained a new kind of sensitivity, it is more politically
\ncorrect to say "overweight" rather than "fat", "have a hearty
\nappetite" than "he\/she is a pig".<\/p>\n
It is kinder to the ears but less so to the arteries.<\/p>\n
A friend who had gained at least 20 kgs in six years often
\ncomplains about her weight and deteriorating health. But consider
\nthis: I spent two hours at lunch with her and in that time, she
\npolished off a bowl of chicken noodles, half a serving of wontons
\ncovered in chili oil, three cream puffs, one scoop of chocolate
\nice cream, three chocolate bars and some sweets.<\/p>\n
She also preferred the elevator than the escalator because the
\nescalators because "less walking is needed." Oh, she also has
\ncheeseburgers delivered to her home every day for lunch.<\/p>\n
People always say that they eat fast food because they lack
\nthe time to cook fresh, wholesome food. But then they spend hours
\nglued to the TV watching the latest reality show. In Asia, there
\nis still an abundance of cheap restaurants for take-away, not to
\nmention the maid who will dutifully whip up lunch and\/or dinner
\nso you don't have to lift a finger or break a sweat in the
\nkitchen.<\/p>\n
To top it all off, the only exercise most people do is sitting
\non a desk all day typing (or pretending to be), or flicking the
\nremote for hours at home.<\/p>\n
After the pounds start to pile on in all the wrong places, a
\nnew kind of hell breaks loose. I'll give you a hint, it's the
\ndirty four letter word. Diet.<\/p>\n
Some go to slimming clinics or resort to acupuncture. Some
\nshun rice and only eat boiled vegetables for days. But unless you
\nare a vegetarian or were a goat in your past life, most likely
\nyou will never survive this diet and seek some solace in the
\nthickest, juiciest steak by the second week.<\/p>\n
Browse through any women's magazine and you will see so many
\ntypes of diet: food combining, Atkins, South Beach, Zone,
\nmacrobiotic, raw food, the whole lot. Do they really work? For a
\nwhile, maybe.<\/p>\n
A few months ago, almost everybody in my office bought tins of
\nChinese slimming tea because a colleague purportedly lost 13 kgs
\nin the course of a month by drinking it. It turns out the
\nslimming tea was really a laxative. The fad died after nobody
\nreally got to their desired weight.<\/p>\n
It was not surprising since everybody kept on their usual diet
\nof high calorie food. When it comes to losing weight, when it
\nseems to good to be true, it usually is.<\/p>\n
So if you're really desperate to lose weight, the old-
\nfashioned way is still the best way. Get your butt off that couch
\nand start exercising. Eat a moderate amount of food. And just as
\nyou make time for your daily dose of The Apprentice, make time to
\ncook your own food. The heat from the kitchen will put you off
\nfrom stuffing yourself anyway, so that's another good reason.<\/p>\n
Easier said than done? At least it's easier than trying to fit
\ninto that favorite pair of jeans!<\/p>\n
-- Krabbe K. Piting<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/trim-the-fat-the-old-fashioned-way-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }