Women in Hong Kong Are Trying to Lose Weight by Staring at the Sun

Cho San! G'morning... or whatever time it is when you read this! How are you doing? I see by the mug in your hand that you are ready for coffee so help yourself. Add a virtual Chinese steamed bun or two to munch on as well...BBQ pork, Chicken and Mushroom, or Coconut while I tell you about a new diet craze in Hong Kong (Fragrant Harbour). 

Sun gazing is a bizarre new weight-loss trend in China – it has women staring directly at the sun, hoping to magically melt away the excess pounds! 

The therapy, believed to be of European origin, suggests that looking at the sun will provide you with enough solar energy to substitute for calories from real food. So dieters are hoping that if they stare at the sun long enough, they could skip eating entirely.

Coconuts Magazine reported that at least 10 women have been spotted staring directly at the sun for about 30 minutes just before sunset, at a beach in Sam Ka Village in Lei Yue Mun. According to Wing, a frequent beachgoer, a group of 10 women dressed in formal wear – all between the ages of 20 and 30 – apparently visit the beach at sunrise or sunset to stare directly at the sun.

Wing has observed the women take their shoes off, put on sunglasses, and set a timer on their phones before looking up at the sun. Sometimes they seem uncomfortable, as they try fanning themselves or covering their faces with napkins. 

Some sun gazers belonging to religious groups claim that the therapy isn’t only for weight loss, but also for overall health. “We practice sun-gazing as a substitute for eating,” said one gazer who was present at the beach. “Some of us who have finished the therapy now eat less, and others don’t have to eat at all!”

The practice of sun gazing seems to contradict every bit of scientific advice about not spending too much time in the sun, let alone staring at it directly. But the gazers say they’re able to protect themselves by using pinhole glasses, which they believe will minimize their exposure to UV rays. 

Doctors, of course, aren’t convinced, especially because of the sub-tropical location of Hong Kong and the sea bouncing back sun rays. Indeed, if history is any indication, these gazers are actually putting themselves at quite a risk by substituting meals for sunlight. A few years ago, a Swiss woman named Anna Gut starved to death while trying to live on light alone. 

Light is not enough. I mean...what do you do for snacks? Sneak into the basement and shine a flashligth on yourself? Actually, I remember reading that rays from a red LED light are helpful for treating pain. In fact, when we last lived in Thailand, we had a 'massage hammer' that included these lights. Oh well...

See ya, eh!

Bob

PS: Speaking of Chinese food (we were, weren't we?), Nong and I will be participating Sunday in the Martintown Mill Market offering Thai and other Asian foods including Thai Spring Rolls, Vietnamese Spring Rolls, Chinese/Thai Sala Bao (steamed and/or baked buns), Green Curry and Pad Thai. If you're in the area, c'mon by from 9:00-3:00 but come early as we expect to sell out by 1:00.