Diet Programmers who will lead the market of body care in the future
TO LOSE is easy: but not to gain is hard. Usually this is so, but when it comes to weight, the opposite is true. Only 10 years ago, people regarded obesity as a result of a lack of self-management, but now it is a serious disease that much of the developed world must confront. Trying to lose weight is easier said than done. For people who want to lose weight, there is a new group of people called "Diet programmers."
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| ▲ Photographed by Kim Hye-ji | ||
Unlike a health trainer who only systematically changes clients' figures, a diet programmer is concerned with a scientific system of total body care. Body fat, exercise, nutrition and mental health are what diet programmers take care of. They make made-to-order programs for each customer over a course of two to three months. Moreover, because there are some patients with bulimia or anorexia, they attempt to cure them through therapy. They also use forms of hypnosis such as aroma therapy. Moreover, they check calorie intake of customers everyday. Even after a customer has finished his or her diet program, the diet programmers continuously monitor their customers in order to prevent the "yo-yo effect."
Diet programmers also work in obesity clinic centers, food companies, fitness centers and hospitals. They receive incomes similar to those of officials at large enterprises, which are usually determined by years of experience. "For people who like entertaining people as well as offering a service, there is no job like this. In addition, they can see impovements directly by watching their customers' body changes, therefore finding their work worth continuing," says Lee Kyung-young, the first diet programmer in Korea and Director of Lee Kyung-young Benessere.
How to become a diet programmer
To be a diet programmer, it is important to acquire a certificate of qualification issued by the KDPA (Korea Diet Programmer Association). Only KDPA certificated people can be diet programmers. The KDPA administers a screening examination four times per year, testing applicant's overall knowledge of physiology, kinesiology, dietetics and the science of obesity including psychology. A year after receiving the certification, you can become an active freelancer. There is no special major necessary for this career, but for those who major in nutrition science or sports, they will find this occupation related to their studies. "Until now, there are not so many male diet programmers in Korea, but the more important the body shape of men becomes, more male diet programmers will be needed," says Noh Hyo-jin, diet programmer.
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| ▲ Photographed by Kim Hye-ji | ||
| Recommended program in Lee Kyung-young Benessere Counseling |