Sunday, December 12, 2010 , 12/12/2010 08:08:00 PM

The Right Approach

A three-pronged weight loss programme helps people lose weight by combining weight loss products, good nutrition and plenty of exercise.

IF you consider the countless weight loss programmes you can choose from, you may find it difficult to believe that the underlying philosophy of losing weight basically boils down to one equation: when you take in less calories than you spend, you have weight loss. It is that simple, says Nu Skin enterprises chief scientific officer and executive vice president Dr Joseph Y. Chang. But although everybody knows that, it is not easy to lose weight with our current lifestyles.

“I always find it ironic that people have to drive to the gym,” says Dr Chang. Indeed, as machines increasingly replace muscles (the way cars replace the need for any legwork), there seemed to be less reason to spend calories any more than we absolutely need to. And thanks to fast food and convenient mamak stalls, we are now blessed with more calories than we ever need.

With these in mind, Malaysian-born Dr Chang and his research team in the US came up with the The Right Approach (TRA) – a patented weight loss programme by Nu Skin Enterprises that combines supplements, nutrition management and exercise with an additional element: group support.

Available in countries like Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Brunei, Hong Kong and Taiwan, the weight loss programme has recently reached our shores.

“By bringing in TRA, we hope to provide Malaysians with a scientifically tested system to help them lose weight the healthy way,” he adds.

The reason we sometimes eat too much is our brains associate eating with sociable events, where we sit down with friends and family to eat and chat. And often, we eat more than we should, says Dr Chang.
Malaysian-born Dr Joseph Y. Chang and his research team in the US came up with the The Right Approach – a patented weight loss programme by that combines supplements, nutrition management and exercise with an additional element: group support. – AZMAN GHANI/The Star

That is why we need to retrain our brain to eat less and exercise more to achieve permanent weight loss, he explains.

People who go on TRA will be encouraged to exercise and practise portion control, where they can eat their normal diet, but half as much. On top of that, they could also take meal replacements to control their calorie intake and consume supplements to control carbohydrate cravings, absorb fat in the digestive tract, increase their body metabolism and burn fat.

To check their progress, they are encouraged to form small support groups that meet regularly.

A “TRA Consultant” will be assigned to monitor the groups’ progress or on a one-to-one basis. (The company conducts regular TRA consultant training for its distributors to educate them on The Right Approach to weight management – the Right Supplementation, Right Nutrition and Right Exercise.)

It may be difficult to do it on our own, but having a group that reminds you to eat healthily and exercise regularly makes it easier, says Dr Chang.

The problem with most diets is that when you are on it, you lose weight fast. The moment you stop, you put the weight back on. As Dr Chang put it, “it’s like a yo-yo”. That is why weight loss medications like laxatives that help people lose weight by losing water are, at best, temporary measures to reduce weight. With TRA, we place more importance in keeping the weight down, he says.

While he concurs that there is no best product for everybody, he cautions against some weight loss products that contain dangerous chemicals, some of which have been pulled off the shelves recently.

Our best protection against these dubious products is our common sense, says Dr Chang. Some of the questions you should ask are: does the product come from a reliable company? Has it been researched well? How exactly does the product work?

A rule of thumb is: if it sounds too good to be true, be careful. As nothing beats reduced calorie intake and exercise in weight loss, if you have to lose weight with the help of supplements or weight loss programmes, choose them carefully.

13 Dec '10
Monday
Noon