The psychology of the battle of the bulge

The psychology of the battle of the bulge

By Tri Hafiningsih

JAKARTA (JP): To lose several kilograms of excess weight might
not be very difficult, but to deal with the insults of being
overweight can take a lifetime.

For many years, people have commonly thought that obesity
resulted from bad eating habits, greed or stress, rather than
medical or hereditary problems.

Dita, 33, has never been physically bothered by her over 100
kg frame, despite her slightly-higher-than-normal blood pressure
and stomach disorders due to her crash diets. But she has had to
put up with insulting remarks, even humiliation due to her weight
for as long as she can remember.

"I used to cry over such insults when I was a kid. But as I
grew up, they motivated me to become a better person. I may not
be good looking, but I must have something good inside me," she
says.

The reporter of a family health magazine, whose relatives are
"not of slim type", Dita has no serious health problems related
to her obesity. She has been active since childhood, and has
always regarded sport as important. She had good achievements in
track and field. She was once one of the top 10 discus throwers
in the nation. She took ballet and swimming lessons when she was
a child and still walks and swims regularly.

"I'm lucky I have parents and family who support me all the
way. They have always urged me to compete in all of the sports I
participated in," she said.

Dita has learned to deal with the insults and humiliation. She
is healthy, has a good job and promising career and is quite
satisfied with her life. Yet she still wonders whether she will
ever be treated as a "normal" person, without the insults. "I
hope I'll come to that someday," she said.

Overweight people, notably women, have always been an easy
target for companies offering sports, drugs or food supplements
that claim to be able to help them regain their shape with
minimal side effects.

The Cambridge Diet or Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD), invented
after years of research by Cambridge University Professor, Dr
Alan Howard, is the latest to be promoted here.

Addressing a recent seminar on the use of VLCD for healthy
weight management, Dr Howard said that the diet program was safe
for diabetic patients or those suffering or with a family history
of hypertension.

The Cambridge Diet, which has been introduced in the U.S.,
Europe and throughout Asia, can be used for people carrying
excess weight and those suffering obesity, Dr Howard claims.

A person is considered obese if his or her "body mass" scale
reaches 30 or more. This figure is obtained by dividing a
person's weight by the square of his or her height expressed in
meters. A person is considered overweight when their body mass
scale is between 25 and 29. Between 20 and 24, is considered
normal and should be maintained.

The Cambridge Diet can be used for extended periods, however a
patient should take a break every 12 weeks of VLCD food intake if
they are taking only the diet food and no other supplements.

Howard recommends that after the ideal weight is reached,
people should continue taking the chemical free diet food as a
food supplement.

He said that VLCD, which costs Rp 598,000 (US$58) per pack for
one week, is the lowest calorie-count diet available. Each day a
patient needs to consume only 411 calories and yet has no
problems maintaining daily activities.

The claim was challenged by Ira, a nutritionist at Pasar Rebo
Hospital, East Jakarta who was present at the seminar. She doubts
the food provides enough calories for effective functioning as
Howard claims.

"Many would be in a state of heavy stress if they consumed
less than a 1,000 calorie-intake diet per day. You claim that 411
calories a day is enough?" she asked Dr Howard.

Another speaker at the seminar Dr Rachmad Soegih said his
patients usually experience shock in the first two weeks of a Low
Calorie Diet (LCD) program, as they have to totally change their
eating habits.

He said that self-discipline and motivation were a must in
carrying out a diet program and that healthy eating habits should
be a lifetime commitment.

Quoting official statistics, Afianto Cristianto, the marketing
manager of PT Neucorindo Perkasa, the company offering the
Cambridge diet here, said the number of overweight Indonesians
reached 17 percent of the population in 1992 and four percent of
these people were obese.