LIKE people everywhere, citizens of Myanmar would prefer to find ways to lose weight that have nothing to do with exercising more or eating less.

That might explain why in recent months women in Yangon have been flocking to health clinics offering injections that purport to melt away pounds without the need to resort to pesky, time-consuming activities like walking, running or cycling.

The injections are widely available at general health clinics throughout Yangon, with doctors claiming that a single shot, given once every 10 days, can lead to five pounds of weight loss.

Such promises have been luring women to clinics in droves. In one morning The Myanmar Times counted about 90 women waiting for injections at a single clinic. In the afternoon a similar number showed up for their treatment.

Forty-year-old Ma Win Win Myint, who weighs 260 pounds, said she was very happy when a friend told her that people with weight problems can shed excess baggage through the magic of simple injections.

“I got excited when I heard the injections can help me lose five pounds in 10 days,” she said. “I’ve already tried to lose weight other ways like taking slimming capsules and dieting.”

“Even exercise didn’t work – I went to the gym every morning for three months and only lost one or two pounds,” she said.

“I decided to try the injections because exercise was too time-consuming and didn’t leave me with enough time to care for my two children,” she said.

Ma Win Win Myint said she had expected to suffer side-effects from the injection but was willing to take the risk if it meant losing weight.

“After the first injection I had bowel problems and felt a little weak,” she said. “Now I’m on my fourth injection but I’ve only lost five pounds. The doctor told me people experienced different rates of weight loss depending on their body structure.”

She added that she planned to continue the treatment until she was down to 150 pounds.

Ma Cho Mar, 38, has also tried using injections in an effort to reduce her weight from 160 to 130 pounds.

“I was afraid of side-effects but I decided to try it,” she said. “When I got to the clinic my worries turned to relief because there were many other women just like me trying to lose weight using injections.”

However, after a week of treatment she caught the flu and her husband told her to stop the injections. But that was not enough to convince her to give up.

“The injections helped me lose weight,” she said. “At K10,000 an injection they are expensive. Sometimes I want to give up but the doctor said I need to take a last injection to control the weight loss.”

While most women are concerned with losing weight, 25-year-old Ma Mi Mi is more interested in adding pounds.

“I eat a lot but my body is still thin,” she said. “I’ve even taken weight-gain pills but they don’t make a difference.”

As a last resort she turned to injections that her doctor said would help her get heavier.

“I’ve taken three injections and my body has filled out. Now I feel more confident in public,” she said. “Injections can reduce the fat cells in one area like the abdomen or thighs and fill in fat cells in areas like the butt or breasts.”

One general practitioner in Yangon warned that taking injections to lose or gain weight could be dangerous.

“Short-term side-effects include sweating, fast heartbeat and a general feeling of weakness,” he said. “Long-term effects can include osteoporosis, high blood pressure and stroke.”

“The best way to lose weight is the old-fashioned method of exercising regularly. Shortcuts such as injections only cause bigger problems in the long run,” he said.