No pain, no gain

The latest weight-loss therapy is a fad like any other but few pass up on miracle cures

A healthy diet and regular exercise is the only true key to weight loss and maintenance. Fatima Al Marzooqi / The National

Most people are constantly in search of a magical solution that would allow them to achieve their ideal weight without changing the way they live. As The National has reported, one new method in Dubai is cavitation treatment, which claims its low-frequency ultrasound waves break down fat cells.

But most of us also know that there cannot be gain – or, in this case, loss (of weight) – without pain. This treatment, like previous miracle cures and others that will emerge in the future, might achieve short term weight loss but is unlikely to offer the long-term solution.

The truth is that amid all the trends and changing opinions about carbs, fats, proteins etc, the real solution lies in common sense. Rather than high-tech wizardry and trendy diets, we need sensible eating, sufficient exercise and finding a way to maintain the pattern once the target weight is reached. But who wants to hear that kind of prosaic advice when a magic solution is being offered?