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.