There are no magic pills for weight loss

When it comes to weight loss, do not be fooled by  false advertising claims, even if there is a before and after picture,” Dr. Osama Al Lala, Health and Physical Activities specialist at the Ministry of Education and Physical Activity and Obesity Consultant at the World Health Organization told children at the Sharjah International Book Fair on Tuesday, November 11th.
Dr. Al Lala showed children several advertisements and book covers with health and weight loss claims and rebuffed each one of them, urging them to adopt a more discerning approach when it comes to these claims. “They only thing you’ll be losing when you buy a weight loss cream is your money. Exercise is the only thing that will eliminate fat,” he said.



He urged them to adopt a healthier lifestyle while they are still young to prevent health problems when they get older. “You will not do that by believing the tricks and lies available in the market. These will ultimately destroy your health in the future,” he said, adding that every week there are two to three products that the Ministry of Health warns against and pulls out of the market.
“The weight loss sector is the most lucrative because everyone wants the perfect body. But that won’t happen if you spend hours watching television and munching on crisps, hoping for a quick fix for your weight issues,” he said, “there are no magic pills.”
Alternatively, he told them that it was important to adopt a comprehensive approach to weight loss that combines lifestyle changes, exercising, having a positive attitude, relationships that support and good nutrition. “Don’t skip breakfast. Not eating breakfast is a reason for weight gain because the body sends the signal to the brain that there’s a famine situation and so the body stops burning fat,” he said.
In his lecture, Dr. Al Lala gave the children a brief about the body’s water/fat/protein/nutrients composition and said that many weight loss products and gimmicks in the market cause water loss that could be dangerous as it may lead to dehydration and eventually kidney issues amongst a myriad of health problems.
Other health and dietary claims and products that he rejected were Blood Type Diets, Chemical Diets, One-food diets, Sauna suits, weight loss vibrating belts, slimming massages, spot reduction therapies or machines and herbal teas or supplements. “Just because it’s made out of herbs doesn’t mean it's safe. Drugs are after all made out herbs too,” he said.
Drinking green tea for weight loss, is a health myth too, he said. “There are studies that showed that drinking red tea right after a meal might prevent the absorption of 10 to 30 % of the fats consumed in that meal, but that’s not something I would recommend if you’re below 15 years of age because red tea affects the level of iron in the body,” he said.
Water, as opposed to herbal pills, should be the ultimate detox solution, he said. “If you want to flush out toxins, drink water,” he said, explaining to them how to calculate the amount of water they should be drinking based on their body weight. “If you don’t drink enough water, your body becomes more prone to cancer and other ailments of old age,” he said.
He warned them against the excessive and non-prescribed intake of vitamins and health supplements. “If you eat your daily recommended servings of fruits and vegetables, you won’t need to take the supplements. These should only be recommended by doctors,” he said.
Dr. Al Lala said that most food available in school canteens is not healthy. “Though I must admit that I’ve noticed that there’s a considerable effort being done in government schools in Sharjah this year when it comes to providing healthy alternatives and eliminating sugary drinks, crisps and chocolates,” he said.