Who said you need to starve on a wacky fad diet or slug it out in gyms to lose weight? Now you can cut down the extra pounds by eating, that's right, by eating a healthy diet. Diet centers are the latest fad here as people especially women become more health and body conscious. Diet centers are super-hygene kitchens where meals are prepared everyday with fresh ingredients and substitutes for fat and sugar. Qualified dieticians and professional chefs in these centers guide their customers to a healthy lifestyle through top-quality catering and dietary programs. Slim n Lite is one such health and diet food center, run by Dr. Leila Al-Onaizi in Al-Khobar. “We have over 2000 customers who swear by us when it comes to losing weight either for aesthetic reasons or medical ones. We help in satisfying nutritional needs, maximizing overall health and managing weight,” says Maher Ramadan, managing director of Slim n Lite. The center has a huge 4000-square-meter kitchen. Maher herself lost three kilograms in a month. “The hassle linked to dieting is eliminated and all nutrients and vitamins that the body needs are supplied through these meals”, she said. Men, women and children are regular clients. “I would put it at 80% females and 20% men who are our customers. We also have children as our clients, mainly those who are overweight and suffer from diabetics,” says Maher. A high percentage in Saudi Arabia suffer from obesity and diabetes (See chart). Inas, a Jordanian mother, orders such diet meals for her 10 year old daughter Sara, who is currently on the heavier side. “I want her to eat healthy and be in good shape, which is why I am putting in money for these diet meals so that she gets into a habit of eating healthy. I also take her for a half hour walk every evening because exercise is just as important.” The center, after successes in Lebanon and Qatar ,was opened in Al-Khobar in February last year. It caters to companies like Al-Fouzan, Olayan, Mobily, STC and SABB and has also started a full outdoor catering service for public. The price for these diet meals is a steep – SR1,900 per month for three meals a day. The diet center at Carlton Moaibed Hotel, though higher in cost, is very popular due to the hotel's reputation. Famous for hosting well-known businessmen and families visiting the Eastern Province, the hotel boasts of a special low-calorie ‘Dietetic Restaurant' at its Health Club & Spa. Prices may be the last thing to worry for people who say ‘health is wealth'. Sometimes it's just better to be successful losers than be successful gainers and the diet centers are here to help you be just that. __
