‘She's so skinny now! I think she lost 27 kilograms in six months. And all she ate was the food delivered from a diet center,' a 14-year-old girl exclaimed to her friends at the gym I've joined for the summer. The conversation piqued my interest and I shamelessly eavesdropped as the girls discussed the merits of the program that their friend had subscribed to. “She barely exercised. She just avoided any junk or fast-food and only ate the meals that were delivered to her place.” The sense of awe in the girl's voice was unmistakable. “Exercise is really important. But it isn't sufficient to achieve the desirable weight. Not if I'm going to down four slices of pizza and a large coke right after my 40-minute workout,” one of the teenagers realized. By the end of the discussion, all three of them had decided to subscribe to the same diet program. The health center these girls were talking about and other such establishments have flourished remarkably in the Saudi market since their arrival in the late nineties. Their key product is selling a healthier lifestyle via providing a healthier diet, through specific diet charts. The main reason behind their popularity, several people claim, is the growing awareness of health-management and weight-consciousness. “Especially younger generations are very particular about their weight and appearance,” notes the manager of one health center in Jeddah in an interview with Saudi Gazette. However, this trend in weight-control is offset by the fast-food culture, which has led to obesity, cholesterol problems, and other health risks, added a gym instructor. Diet centers with their calorie-limited and nutritional menus are the solution to this fast-food epidemic, according to most advocates of this trend. While some centers provide off-the-shelf and ready-to-go items including low-calorie sandwiches, pastries, and salads, other establishments recommend a consultation from their in-house dietician first. The dietician designs a specific weight-management program for the client based on their weight, height, medical history, and exercise routine. The home-delivery program is the most popular program at these centers, where fresh, nutritional meals are home-delivered to curb fast-food intake. One of the subscribers to a diet center's ‘Home Meal Program' notes that even people who are regular members of gymnasiums and health centers find that all their efforts can be offset by a single moment of indulgence. “At home, you tend to open the refrigerator at odd times and pack yourself calorie-oozing meals. Even if I slaved away at the gym for an hour, I wouldn't be able to lose that bulging stomach, the result of midnight snacking,” she remarked. These meals contain a fixed quantity of proteins, carbs, and fat so that the body does not have to bear the brunt of excessive calories. Because these meals contain high nutritional value, they also add more to your energy levels. “Which means you're not only eating less, but you're also eating right,” she concluded. Other programs include the ‘Menu Plan Program', where you can plan your menu in advance with a professional's help and prepare it in the convenience of your home; the ‘Fitness Program' that precipitates a more active lifestyle through an exercise plan in addition to a diet program; and ‘Special Programs which are customized for patients with particular needs such as post-pregnancy, eating disorders, and diabetes. At one diet center, all customers are eligible for the ‘easydiet' program that delivers meals to your door-step. The clients can choose from an elaborate menu of low-calorie meals and desserts. However, for people with certain health problems such as diabetes and chronic blood-pressure a certified dietician can help them chart out a specific menu. Offering a range of diet programs that are tailored to their clients' needs, these centers enjoy immense popularity in all age circles. But is the customer diversity just specific to age? Dr. Manaal Mohammed Abdulhamed is a dietician at one of these diet centers and she spoke to Saudi Gazette about the customer profile at her center. “People of all ages and nationalities avail this service. I have teenagers coming to me as well as middle-aged clients. Saudis, Lebanese, Egyptians, Pakistanis – we meet different people every day.” Male and female clients both regularly visit her center and subscribe to the weight-management programs. Contrary to popular perception, she added, her customers are not limited to over-weight or obese people. “Some of my clients are also underweight and others are of ideal weight,” she said. It's important for people to understand that you don't need help only when you've gained a lot of weight. You need to make sure you don't come to that point in the first place. Dr. Abdulhamed urges people with diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, renal, kidney, or cardiology problems, and eating disorders, to definitely visit such establishments. “It's not just about weight-management,” she remarked, “we advise our customers to adopt a healthier lifestyle, which includes both diet and exercise. By the end of the program, we want our clients to be educated in what it means to lead a healthy life. They should take forward what they've learnt from our center in terms of quantity and quality of diet.” She also gave some vital tips for the readers of Saudi Gazette on how to get on track if they're starting a weight-management program: “First thing people need to change is the timing of their intake. They should have at least three main meals in a day and they should have them at fixed times every day. In our society, people eat anything at anytime. That is wrong,” she said. “Some people think that if they're not eating, they'll lose weight. Big mistake.” “Another important thing they need to change is the quality of food. They need to eat protein, control carbs, fats and sugar. Plus, they're not eating natural sugar. Instead, they're having desserts or white sugar which is really bad for health. The things they should eat include vegetables and salads and replace fried food with grilled and baked items,” she added. “The third thing is the quantity of food. Some people are under the impression that if they starve all day and just have one big meal, they'll control their weight. Or if they eat things like chocolate, croissant and other junk food in small portions throughout the day, it won't make a difference. That's not true. At the end of the day, if they add all those calories in the small portions, they would see that they have consumed more than what the body needs,” she said in conclusion. “Also, consuming a larger quantity of low-fat items does not mean you're controlling your weight. The point is the quantity and not just that it's low fat or diet.” Several people resort to fast-food due to its convenience and accessibility. With obesity and other health hazards on the rise, diet is one main aspect of our lifestyle that we can control. Diet centers therefore, pose a big threat to the fast-food culture by their revolutionary concept of combining nutrition with convenience.
