'A sexy body doesn't come cheap'

A. Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Before signing up for a slimming treatment at an international body care center, Diana, a managing partner at a public relations firms in Jakarta, had tried dieting to lose the weight she gained during her pregnancy. However, her efforts proved to be in vain.

"I also exercise, jogging and playing tennis, but I only lost a few pounds. I even gained more weight when I fell off my diet or skipped my exercise," said the 65-kilogram Diana.

The mother of a one-year-old daughter decided to join the slimming program after coming to the conclusion she did not have the discipline to regain her pre-pregnancy figure.

The 30-year-old Diana is spending about Rp 10 million on the two-month treatment, which is designed to reduce her body fat and reduce her weight to about 50 kilograms.

"A sexy body doesn't come cheap. Appearance is important to me," she said.

Diana and many other women here seem to have been influenced by the "common" perception that a beautiful woman is one with a slim body, sharp nose and white skin.

These women put themselves through various therapies and treatments, such as acupuncture, skin whitening and plastic surgery, to achieve this so-called ideal, often without considering the reliability or safety of the treatments.

Millions of rupiah are spent on food supplements that according to many reports can actually be harmful.

Some celebrities have even resorted to shabu-shabu (crystal methamphetamine) to stay slim.

Aware of the dangers of chemicals, slimming centers like Marie France Bodyline and Impressions Body Care use only natural methods.

Erita, a consultant at Marie France, said the center employed a fat reducing method called the Fat Mobilization System, and did not prescribe strict diets, regular exercise, pills or injections.

"We use various treatments such as massage, masking and special machines. It's all natural since we use only natural ingredients, such as ginger. Ninety percent of our clients managed to lose weight," Erita said.

She said clients usually needed a two-month treatment to lose four to five kilograms.

She said the cost of the slimming treatment could range between Rp 6 million and Rp 50 million. "It depends on the weight and the duration of the program."

Impressions also claims to use only natural ingredients in its body treatment program.

"There are no side effect in our program because we use natural ingredients. We also use fat-burning machines that are recognized internationally," Santi, an official at Impressions, said.

She said clients paid between Rp 2 million and Rp 10 million for the slimming treatment, depending on how much weight they wished to drop.

The high cost of body treatments is no deterrent for many women who have the money and want a sexier body. This is evident from the growing number of slimming centers in big cities around the country.

Marie France, which has numerous branches in large cities across the country, recently opened a new outlet at Pondok Indah Mall II in South Jakarta.

Impression also has dozens of outlets in big cities such as Jakarta, Surabaya, Bandung and Medan, as well as in smaller towns like Bekasi, Purwokerto, Bandar Lampung and Jambi.

But those women who cannot afford treatments at a slimming center need not worry. Nutritionists and doctors are in agreement that a disciplined diet and exercise are key to maintaining an ideal weight and shape.

Furthermore, women should realize that happiness and health are much more important than the shape of their body.

Tips for women to stay slim and healthy:

- Improve your diet. Eat more low calorie foods, such as fruits and vegetables.
- Take part in lots of activities, such as social and sport activities or gardening.
- Take part in sports and exercise, such as Pilates, Tae-Bo or aerobics, or join a salsa class.
- Walking, jogging and cycling in your housing complex is an inexpensive way to stay fit.
- Control your stress, as numerous studies have showed that stress can cause people to overeat.
- Drink more water. According to doctors, people tend to eat when they are thirsty.

Source: Femina