The key to a well-run slimming centre or a weight loss clinic ( centre ) should be ‘proper supervision both medically and nutritionally’.
This is how a slimming centre or a weight loss clinic (centre) should work :
All patients desirous of fat and inch loss must be examined by a qualified doctor. The doctor after a detailed conversation with the patient should note his personal and family history. On the basis of history and medical examination, a diagnosis must be made as to the underlying cause of obesity. In cases where the doctor finds it necessary, appropriate blood tests must be carried out.
Once accepted, the patient should continue to eat exactly as always for one week. He should keep a detailed diary of food he eats, the amount, the method of cooking and at what time of the day . This applies to any food whatsoever eaten at any time during the one week period. At the end of one week, on the second visit, the doctor and a nutritionist must evaluate the patient’s food noted in his diary, taking into account the amount of food eaten, kind of food and time of eating.
Once the evaluation has been made, the patient should meet the doctor who treats him for his underlying cause of obesity and makes corrections in his food habits towards sensible, practical and tailor-made easy to follow nutritionally balanced eating, depending on his individual need and life style. Certain cardinal rules should be laid down :
No meals may be skipped;
No crash diets;
No diet pills;
No strenuous exercises;
No substitution in the diet, unless ordered by his own family physician, or a specialist (salt- free, low cholesterol, etc.) Once the desired weight loss is achieved, the patient should be told to visit the doctor at least once in two to three months, for a follow-up of the weight record.
A few simple rules should be followed by each patient. In order to carry out the weight loss programme, he must attend the centre once a week ( or fortnight, as the case may be) for atleast three months. At each weekly session, the patient’s food diary must be checked to ensure his co-operation towards sensible eating. He must be weighed and his body measurements must be noted and his treatment for obesity continued.
The doctor should give a short pep talk, together with a discussion on nutrition, health problems of overweight and obesity, dangers of poor nutrition, crash diets and discussions on various forms of quackery.
The doctor should emphasize that there is no magic formula and that common sense of sensible and good eating habits are the real key to success in losing weight. At no time should a patient be made to feel guilty or a failure when he does not adhere to sensible eating or fails to lose weight during the week. He should not be scolded but rather an attempt should be made to find out what caused the back sliding.
Once the desired weight loss is achieved, the patient should be told to visit the doctor at least once in two to three months, for a follow-up of the weight record.
In essence, the goals of the slimming centre or weight-loss clinic, should be to help the patients to rind the cause of their overweight problems, to show them through diagrams and charts, why people get fat, and how being fat affects the body, the mind and behaviour.
Each patient’s problem should be treated sympathetically and individually.