Most of you must have seen weight loss advertisements. They typically feature a man with a precariously protruding paunch, seemingly upsetting his center of gravity, with the words "30 days before treatment" next to him. Alongside, there’s an image of the same man looking fit, athletic, and trim, with the words "30 days after treatment." Not exactly as described, but it goes something like that.

Many centers offer different forms of treatment for weight loss. However, I have not had the fortune of meeting anyone who has undergone such paunch-reducing treatments.

When I talk about this, my mind goes back to my own condition. How was I a long time ago? And how far has my midriff expanded?

As I mentioned earlier, I was very fit and lean until I remained active. Around the time I decided to indulge myself in little luxuries like taking an auto instead of a bus or asking someone to drop me at the bus stop instead of walking, my center of gravity slowly started shifting. The disagreeable fat, generated out of inactivity, found a safe haven in my belly. That was around the time I had taken voluntary retirement. With the sudden euphoric feeling of being released from a tiny cage and unable to tolerate my own reflection in the mirror, and with limitless time at my disposal, I started regular and aggressive walking. I got back into shape easily.

However, this expansion and contraction of the midriff did not cause major issues in terms of food habits, clothing, or other things. The pang of the paunch receded without much fuss.

But much later, things were different.

Continued in 272. Wait Watch Weight - Part 2