One-stop solutions to losing weight

T.Sima Gunawan, Contributor, Jakarta

The young woman stood in front of the mirror and sighed: "Oh, I am fat. I am fat."

You might be wondering just how fat she is - how much she really weighs. Well, as a matter of fact, with a height of 160 centimeters and a weight of 47 kilograms, she is not even chubby.

Like her, almost all women dream of being slim. The image of a model, or an actress, with a slim - even emaciated, body is on their mind, as their idea of being beautiful is being slim, or ultra thin. This is not entirely their fault because that is what they see in movie stars or top models.

So, women make great efforts to lose weight. The natural way to do so is by sticking to a stringent diet and doing lots of exercise - from aerobics to yoga.

If you do not have enough time to exercise or lack the discipline to do so, you need not worry because there are many other ways to fight the battle of the bulge.

In addition to a wide range of herbal products, there are also slimming centers that offer various programs to reduce weight including liposuction, body wrapping and acupuncture.

Salome beauty salon, for example, offers a slimming package for Rp 2 million (US$220), using injections and the wrapping method. After being examined, the customer will be injected and then a part of the body will be wrapped in order to remove unwanted fat.

The treatment takes 10 sessions - twice or three times a week - and each session takes about an hour and a half.

"But the Rp 2 million price tag is only to reduce the fat in a certain part of the anatomy, like the tummy or the thighs or upper arms. If you want to remove unwanted fat deposits from all over your body, you have to pay more," said a consultant at the beauty salon.

Marie France Bodyline, like Impressions, also applies the body wrapping system. In addition, customers are treated using machines to burn fat and massage.

Marie France Bodyline center, which operates in 11 countries and has at least six outlets in Jakarta, one in Bandung and two in Surabaya, charges Rp 6 million for a package. The package consists of 17 sessions.

"Usually, our customers will lose about seven kilograms after undergoing the treatment. But there are also others who lose 10 kilograms," said a consultant of the center.

She added that all customers are advised about a healthy diet, and underlined that the success of the program also depends on their discipline.

Impressions, another well-known slimming center in town, offers a package of 10 body-wrapping sessions for Rp 4 million. Each session lasts for about an hour.

"We have a special offer of 'buy one get one free', meaning that you will be entitled to 20 sessions of treatment for only Rp 4 million," said Fitri, a consultant, adding that the offer is valid until the end of the month.

The package does not include the use of machines to remove fat and cellulite, and to form an ideal body shape. Customers are also recommended to take herbal supplements to burn fat and to suppress their appetite.

Impressions, which has 25 outlets in Greater Jakarta, operates in at least 25 cities throughout the country.

People who come to slimming centers are not necessarily obese. Many are not overweight, but they just want to be more shapely. There are also others who look just fine, but insist on undergoing treatment.

"In that case, we offer them a treatment to make their body firm," said Fitri.

Like women, many men also want to reduce weight. The demand is quite high, prompting Impressions to offer special programs for men last year.

Men, however, have to pay more. One package of 10 sessions costs Rp 10 million. This is because the center uses more equipment and provides more services for male customers. For example, the package includes aroma therapy and spa. The customers also have to undergo detoxification first in order to remove toxins from the body before the treatment.

Another way to reduce weight is by using acupuncture.

Aisen Healthcare International in South Jakarta is among the establishments that offer slimming programs using acupuncture. Since it opened nine months ago, it has served some 200 clients. The youngest one is 13 years old and the oldest one is 76.

"Our acupuncturists come directly from Beijing," Dewi from the center said.

It offers two packages. The first costs Rp 4.5 million for 20 sessions, and the second is Rp 5.8 million for 30 sessions. Each session lasts for about 30 minutes.

Liposuction is another method using surgery to remove unwanted fat deposits. The result may be instant, but it also comes with a high price tag.

The Jakarta Skin Center in South Jakarta, for example, charges a customer between Rp 7 million to Rp 12 million for an operation to remove fat deposits from a certain part of the body. If a person has unwanted fat in many parts of the body, like the tummy, the bottom, the chin, the upper arms and thighs, the operation would be much more costly.

Even though the establishments ask high prices, new customers keep coming as many are willing to shell out a lot of money in order to be slim and have the ideal body shape.

As for those who are on a tight budget, they can still try to achieve the ideal body shape through lots of exercise and a strict diet.