Health Over Beauty
By Alessia Coluccio and Erica Cai
Gloria’s Weight Loss Spa has helped thousands lose weight and get healthy. (Beauty treatments extra).
JACKSON HEIGHTS — In 2010, Ferney Gomez, a butcher in Jackson Heights, Queens, weighed about 300 pounds and suffered from several obesity-induced illnesses. Only after visiting Gloria’s Weight Loss Spa, a cozy, state-of-the-art health center in Jackson Heights, did Mr. Gomez began to improve his health drastically, losing 30 pounds in a month and 90 pounds overall by 2011.
The story of Mr. Gomez, carried on the Telemundo television network, drew many customers as well as employees to Gloria’s, a spa at 80–19 37th Street. A vibrant green awning hangs over the entrance while before and after pictures of previous customers line the bottom of the window.
One of those who closely followed the story was Norma Marengo, who is now a therapist at Gloria’s. Unlike other centers whose programs combat obesity, she said, Gloria’s “doesn’t just focus on the beauty aspect of it but more of the health aspect of it.”
Despite being a humble business tucked in an obscure part of Queens, Gloria’s Weight Loss Spa attracts not only locals, but also people from neighboring states.
“We have customers that come from Connecticut, New Jersey,” said Ms. Marengo. “The majority, of course, do come from Queens, but we have people from the Bronx, from all the boroughs.”
Ms. Marengo, 34, was greatly inspired by the work of Gloria Rodriguez, the founder of Gloria’s Weight Loss Spa, a certified health coach and nutritional advisor who has been in the field for more than 25 years.
“I started hearing about the testimonies. I don’t live in Jackson Heights but I grew up in Jackson Heights, and she really had a huge impact on a lot of people,” said Ms. Marengo as she sat cross-legged in the lobby of the spa dressed in blue nurse’s scrubs. “I really found it interesting what she was doing and also the impact she had on the community.”
At the beginning of the weight loss program, each patient receives a personalized nutritional guide based on a free evaluation that covers criteria such as a person’s age, sex, physical activity, eating habits and whether one is taking medications for chronic illnesses.
With her dark brown hair pulled tightly into a low ponytail and her hands resting loosely in her lap, Ms. Marengo explained that the treatment varies for each customer: “It’s not like one size fits all.”
While most weight loss programs include an aspect of intense physical exertion, the high end machinery used by the center does not put stress on the body. Instead, it mimics the same motions executed during exercise. Possible treatments include lymphatic drainage massages that eliminate liquid retention and excess fat.
“We have machines that help us to loosen up the fat so that when they’re eating healthy, they go to the bathroom, and that’s how they eliminate the fat and also the liquid,” said Ms. Marengo.
In addition to the various weight loss programs offered at Gloria’s Weight Loss Spa, alternative spa treatments such as ultra-cavitation (a non-surgical form of liposuction), fat freezing and cupping therapy provide further relaxation to customers.
Ms. Marengo, a Colombian immigrant, truly believes in what she does. She studied forensic psychology at John Jay College and worked as a social worker but admitted that her “heart wasn’t in it.” After hearing the almost miraculous cases of people losing significant amounts of weight in short periods of time, Ms. Marengo wanted to be involved in the change, which led her to work for Mrs. Rodriguez.
“I believe in her and that’s why I decided to work for her,” Ms. Marengo said, “I want to be a part of something that makes a change and has somewhat of an impact in people’s lives.”
Not only does Ms. Marengo help patients change their lifestyle for the better, but she also works with them to improve their mental health through therapy.
“Obesity is related to a lot of depression, low self esteem and personal issues,” Ms. Marengo said. “It’s incredible that we are able to help people all around. The transformation is amazing, it’s not only in the outer but also the inner part of themselves.”
By applying her psychological training, Ms. Marengo consults with the patients during their hourly sessions two or three times a week. The conversations often become very personal and allow for a deeper bond to form.
“I speak to the patients very closely during their sessions. While they’re here, they’re expressing and sharing whatever issues they’re going through,” Ms. Marengo said, “When you’re a good listener, and when people feel a connection to you, we get to build relationships with these people since this is a long term program.”
Those connections are Ms. Marengo’s favorite part of her job.
“Sometimes they develop a relationship with us where, if they don’t lose a pound in a week, they don’t want to come because they don’t want to let us down,” Ms. Marengo said with a smile.
As a part of her job, Ms. Marengo has to deal with her patients losing faith in not only the program, but more importantly themselves. She then reminds them that results will show overtime and not to lose hope because of a minor setback.
“Sometimes, people hit a plateau, and that’s normal, but they still have difficulty sticking to the program,” Ms. Marengo said. “And that’s where the motivation comes in, to tell them ‘no you can do it’, because people get fixated with that number that the scale gives them, and if they don’t see that scale moving, they start losing motivation.”
For those looking for an easy way to live a better lifestyle, Ms. Marengo repeats what all doctors say: a healthy diet of vegetables, fruits, and water. But instead of avoiding less nutritious foods altogether, Ms. Marengo suggests to rid the body of calories as soon as possible to reduce fat build up.
“If you go eat an empanada, burn it. Do something. We are what we eat.”
