February 11, 2012 Sydney Morning Herald, Andrew Hornery
The secret of Malcolm Turnbull’s dramatic 14-kilogram weight loss lies behind the frosted glass facade of Suite 6013A on the sixth floor of Westfield Bondi Junction.
The nondescript shop front belongs to Chinese herbalist Shuquan Liu, who has been prescribing his heady potions of ancient Chinese herbs to a veritable top echelon of Sydney’s high flyers, including most recently Turnbull.
Last year, The Morning Show host Larry Emdur dropped 10 kilograms in four weeks after embarking on ”Dr Liu’s” herbal remedies, a combination of acupuncture, cupping and herbal potions to treat everything from high blood pressure to infertility.
”I do not offer a weight loss cure. I focus on making the internal organs of the body healthy. For some of my patients weight loss is a byproduct of that. But weight loss is not what I offer,” Liu told PS.
Liu’s customers are given a strict diet of Chinese herbs, many of them described as ”foul tasting”, over a period of weeks, supplemented with other treatments such as acupuncture to the abdomen.
Those embarking on the program say they have virtually no appetite, which allows them to drop weight very quickly.
The treatment does not come cheap, with some customers paying about $2000 a week – or roughly $1000 per kilo of weight lost.
Eastern suburbs cosmetic surgeon Naomi McCullum, the go-to physician for botox and fillers for well-heeled ladies, has also sought treatment from Dr Liu and espoused his services to her clientele.
In an interview with The Global Mail this week, Turnbull said: ”I must say that I found the fast extremely informative because it made me realise I am in control of my own body and can control my appetite. It is a very good insight.”
Turnbull’s girth has been a sensitive subject for the politician. PS recalls well one evening at his Point Piper home when, midway through a platter of oysters, the millionaire dared to prove to PS that articles suggesting he had ”love handles” were way off the mark. PS took his word for it.
