A survey of some 750 men and women aged between 13 and 57 years
showed that Singaporeans are only willing to pay up to 500 dollars
to lose weight.
In fact 90 per cent of the participants paid up to 500 dollars in
their last attempt to lose weight, while the rest paid up to 2,000
dollars.
The survey also showed that more than 40 per cent of the
respondents dieted.
About a third wanted cheap and easy dieting methods, while a third
wanted to lose flab without having to starve.
What's really worrying is that 7 in 10 didn't know what they lost
when their weight dropped.
Dr Leslie Tay from Karri Family Clinic points out that many are
shedding the pounds incorrectly.
"The loss in water weight is very fast; you also
put it on very fast because you drink half a litre of water is half
a kilogramme. So if you ever come across those programme where they
put you through something, two hours, and then show you you loss
wow, half a kilo of weight and everybody is so happy, you're just
losing water weight and people don't realise that not all weight
loss is the same. What you want to do is to lose fat."
Dr Tay says many also have the misconception that they should lose
weight by cutting down their intake of fatty
food.
"It is not by reducing the amount of fat that you
eat that you lose fat, you've got to reduce it by 500 to 1,000
calories per day and that will give you a very sustainable weight
loss of about half a kilo per week? That is a permanent and healthy
weight loss because you're losing fat, fat is your storage of
energy."
Dr Tay says only when people eat right and exercise can they lose
the weight permanently.
The survey, called the Right Approach is commissioned by Pharmanex,
which produces nutritional supplements.
--938Live