Thursday 19 April 2012

Do Weight Loss Clinics Really Help?

Most overweight people want to lose weight, not only to become healthy but also to look good. After all, no one wants to be seen with a fat belly and a pair of flabby arms.

People also want to shed all those extra pounds of fat in the shortest time possible. Most people go the traditional diet route but some will resort to extremes such as gastric banding and liposuction.

Then again, some people need a bit of extra support to help them achieve quick weight loss! And here is where weight loss clinics come in.

There have been many weight loss clinics popping up in recent years but not all of them are worth your money.

Some are endorsed by celebrities, but just because a clinic is endorsed by celebrities doesn't mean that it is good. Most weight loss clinics will promise you the impossible, so it is important to do your due diligence before you join any of them.

Before you join a weight loss clinic, enquire about the following:

1. Presence of qualified physicians: Enquire if there are any qualified physicians present at the clinic. For one, weight loss cannot always be achieved by diet and exercise; in some cases, people gain weight because of medical complications and in such cases, the person will need medical attention.

For another, it is important that you don't suffer from some kind of side-effects after weight loss. In short, if there are no physicians available at the clinic, then don't join it!

2. Time taken: Enquire how much time it takes on an average to lose weight, and how much weight could be lost within that time period. The salespersons might try to offer misleading answers on this question so make sure to do local enquiries too!

Remember that if the clinic claims to help people lose huge amounts of fat within a very short time, say fifty pounds within two months, then that means they are using some unhealthy weight loss methods. Avoid such clinics!

3. Food: What food do they suggest you to eat? This is a crucial question you should ask yourself before joining a weight loss clinic! Most of them offer pre-packaged meals to their clients. Pre-packaged meals are okay if you can spend hundreds of dollars on them, but what if you don't have that much money?

Besides, what will happen after you lose weight successfully? Will you keep spending ridiculous amounts of money on food? Any weight loss clinic which limits you to their pre-made meals is not a viable solution for you! You should be allowed to cook foods on your own!

4. Exercises: Regardless of whatever people tell you, it is almost impossible to lose weight fast without the aid of exercises. Changing your eating habits alone won't yield any permanent results! Weight loss can be achieved only when you combine healthy eating with physical activity.

Exercises boost your metabolic rate, which in turn helps you burn fat fast. If the clinic in question doesn't include exercise in their weight loss program, this is not a suitable clinic for you!

There are excellent weightloss clinics out there, but it really is a case of caveat emptor. Do your homework before committing and you will find the one for you if you really think you need one!