Özlem Özkulak, who dropped from 110 kilos to 55 kilos through surgery, drew on her experiences and rolled up her sleeves to organize the Obesity and Healthy Living Fair. At the fair, surgeons, dietitians, gym managers, and people who have overcome obesity will come together with those struggling with obesity.
Özlem Özkulak, a 44-year-old businesswoman and mother of one living in İzmir, began gaining weight rapidly due to hormonal reasons. Reaching 110 kilos from 55, she managed to lose 10 kilos through dieting but eventually regained the weight. Stating that she lost her self-confidence because of her weight, Özkulak underwent surgery at Fırat University Faculty of Medicine Hospital 1.5 years ago and succeeded in dropping from 110 kilos to 55. After returning home post-surgery, she threw away two bags of medication and supplements, expressing that uninformed people can try very harmful methods during the weight loss process. Drawing on her own experiences, Özkulak decided to organize the Obesity and Healthy Living Fair. At the fair, which will be held on February 23–24–25, 2018, surgeons, dietitians, gym managers, and people who have overcome obesity will come together with those struggling with obesity. In the event, which aims for 30,000 visitors and will feature 300 stands, obese individuals will have the chance to meet experts one-on-one and receive accurate information.
“I left an Özlem on the scale”
Noting that she herself struggled with obesity for many years, Özkulak shared her story as follows:
“I was around 50–55 kilos for many years. Then, due to hormonal reasons, I started gaining weight rapidly. After a while, my weight got out of control and reached 110 kilos. After hitting 110 kilos, I realized I had withdrawn from social life and decided to lose weight. First, I lost 10 kilos with a strict diet, but shortly after, I gained it all back. I couldn’t lose weight in any way. I sat and cried, saying, ‘Am I really this weak-willed?’ In the end, I decided to have surgery. I had the surgery in Elazığ 1.5 years ago and lost 55 kilos in the first year. I left an Özlem on the scale. Now, I maintain my weight with healthy eating and exercise.”
“Storms are raging inside us”
Emphasizing that she had no self-confidence during her overweight years, Özkulak said:
“I am a businesswoman, but during my overweight years, I couldn’t be very active while working on my projects. Above all, I couldn’t even climb stairs. Now I have regained my freedom and self-confidence. They always talk about being at peace with your weight, but inside, storms are raging. The reality is nothing like that. We’ve always hidden behind someone in photos. Now I take more photos.”
“I threw away two bags of medication”
Stating that people who do not get support from an expert during the weight loss process can try very wrong methods, Özkulak said:
“After the surgery, I threw away two grocery bags full of medication and supplements. Because people don’t really know what to do during the weight loss process. I also used many products I saw online, whose authenticity I didn’t even know. When I realized this, I decided to bring people struggling with obesity together with experts through a fair organization. At the fair, there will also be concerts by artists who lost weight healthily, and those who overcame obesity will share their stories. Additionally, veterinarians will provide information to the public about obese animals.”
Source: https://www.gazetemizmir.com/azimle-zayifladi-obezite-fuari-icin-kollari-sivadi/32546/
