Treatment of Obesity

Obesity

Obesity is when a person is carrying too much body fat for their height and sex. A person is considered obese if they have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater (see box, to the left).

Today’s way of life is less physically active than it used to be. People travel on buses and cars, rather than walking, and many people work in offices, where they are sitting still for most of the day. This means that the calories they eat are not getting burnt off as energy. Instead, the extra calories are stored as fat.

Overtime, eating excess calories leads to weight gain. Without lifestyle changes to increase the amount of physical activity done on a daily basis, or reduce the amount of calories consumed, people can become obese.

Symptoms

• breathing disorders (e.g., sleep apnea, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
• certain types of cancers (e.g., prostate and bowel cancer in men, breast and uterine cancer in women)
• coronary artery (heart) disease
• depression
• diabetes
• gallbladder or liver disease
• gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• high blood pressure
• high cholesterol
• joint disease (e.g., osteoarthritis)
• stroke

People who are obese may have the symptoms of the medical conditions mentioned above. High blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, breathing problems, and joint pain (in the knees or lower back) are common. The more obese a person is, the more likely they are to have medical problems related to obesity.

Aside from the medical complications, obesity is also linked to psychosocial problems such as low self-esteem, discrimination, difficulty finding employment, and reduced quality of life.

How can I know if I have obesity?

For adults, overweight and obesity ranges are determined by using your weight and height to calculate a number called your "Body Mass Index" or BMI. For most people, BMI is a good indicator of their amount of body fat. An adult who has a BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight, and an adult who has a BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese.

For children and teens, BMI ranges and calculations are done differently and they take into account the normal differences in body fat between girls and boys, as well as differences at various ages.

Ayurvedic Cure

In ayurvedic text, 'Charakacharya' has described eight 'nindya prakruties' (undesirable constitution) according to the body constitution. Among them he has also mentioned obesity. Obesity is described as 'Medoroga' in Ayurved. It is said that it is comparatively easy to help an underweight person, rather than an overweight person. The overweight problem can be due to an actual increase in the fat component (Meda Dhatu), or it can be due to malfunctioning. These, accordingly, will need different approaches. In very few cases it can be an offshoot of other metabolic disorders.

Body is made of 7- Dhatus {Rasa (Lymph), Rakta (Blood), Maans (Muscle), Meda( Fat), Asthi (Bones), Majja (Nervous System) Shukra (Reproductive System)}. But in Obese fellow Meda is excessively nourished and remaining other Dhatus get malnourished. Kapha gets accumulated in between. When Kapha increases in abnormal fashion, Fat metabolism gets hampered and person becomes Obese.

Roll of medicines with dietary correction is to remove obstructed Kapha and let all Dhatus nourish equally. It is not only the quantity of food that is important, but also the type of food one eats. It is not always necessary to go on a restricted diet, but qualitative changes and food habits can bring remarkable changes.

Treatment of Obesity

Prevention is better then cure. You must take precautions rather following treatment after increase in weight. Once you are obese it is difficult to treat yourself.

• Avoid excess eating, eating during indigestion or just after taking pervious meal.
• Avoid day sleeping; sleep in the night after one hour of your dinner.
• Do regular exercise like brisk walking (at least), running, swimming etc. avoid sedentary and lethargic lifestyle.
• Avoid eating excess sweets. Have lowfat /skim dairy products. Avoid product like chocolates, ice creams, cheese, paneer, sugar etc.
• Take non-vegetarian food like chicken, fishes, eggs, meats etc. in moderate quantity. Remove fat from meat & skin from chicken.
• Try to minimise excess oil & ghee in cooking, Use a non-stick pan for cooking. avoid hydrogenated vegetable oils, Instead of frying things try to consume roasted things & change your cooking techniques a little. Grill or bake food instead of frying, cook vegetables without fat by steaming and boiling.
• Use lowfat spreads and chutney on bread instead of butter and cheese.
• Don't consume excess alcoholic drinks or water on empty stomach.
• Avoid aerated drinks and excess water after meal.
• Intake of fat and carbohydrates should be restricted.

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