One-stop solutions to losing weight
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.