Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Ramadan 17, 1445 H
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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

The weight loss industry’s transformation

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The weight loss industry has evolved in a long-term business relation, as such, in 2020, the market value in the US contracted to $71 bn. In the early 2000, it was estimated that 1 in 4 people in developed countries were obese.


Now that number skyrocketed to 2 in 3 people being obese or severely overweight. The baseline of countries included in the statistic has also increased. Some of the countries that excluded 20 years ago, have now joined the pool of developed countries, often enjoying the long-term health liability of readily available fast and junk food.


In just two decades, the overweight population in the world went from a minority to the majority resulting in a drastic change of the mindset in those belonging to the category.


While 20 years ago an obese person might have felt “different” compared to most of society, now feels more part of the same community.


In turn, this change of mindset had profound implication in the weight loss and slimming industry. We went from a mindset of “I must lose weight now” to “I need to have a healthier life style”. Translated is actions, the former approach would have gone through drastic procedures, such as invasive and dangerous surgery, in order to immediately remove fat from the body.


Now there seems to be less of a sense of urgency, and people are more willing embark on a long-term life changing experience, rather than “shock and awe” their body into another shape.


But in order to see noticeable results, we know, hard work and restrain is a must and not everyone is in for it. When in February 2014, South African Dr Tim Noakes replied to a tweet of mother asking about the diet of her infant son, saying that as a general advise a Low Carbohydrates, High Fat (LCHF) diet was recommended even after breastfeeding, he was threatened to be taken medical license away. He fought in court and won.


As a result, the keto diet — studied for the first time 100 years ago — resurfaced and became extremely popular. I have tried it too, and worked like magic in my case, having lost 18kg in a year, after 10 years of weight struggle. But I must admit that diet alone is not sufficient.


Exercise is essential. But what type of exercise is a whole different story.


My personal belief is that exercise that builds up or tone muscles is inevitably going to be a better long-term investment than walking or running, which mostly dehydrates and might damage joints over the years.


But what type of exercise is a whole different story. The bottom line is that the paradigm shift in the mindset of overweight people have impacted and transformed the weight loss industry significantly: from dieting to exercising, all sectors have transformed.


In the US, a survey in 2020 found that 77 per cent of the obese people interviewed were adopting a holistic healthier life style as opposed to 19 per cent who declared that they were dieting.


Many false promises about the effectiveness of a weight loss program have brought a sense of distrust in the industry, and with the internet available with all the information needed, more and more individuals are opting for a DYI weight loss approach.


[The columnist is a member of the International Press Association]


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