Managing Obesity With Ayurveda

Obesity is the state of being overweight. When excess fat accumulates in different parts of the body, it can lead to such a condition. Simply put, when the intake of calories exceeds the amount of calories burned, the extra calories get stored in the body in the form of fat. As per a recent study published in the British medical journal, the Lancet, there were 20 million obese women in India in 2014 as compared to 9.8 million obese men.

Causes of obesity: Accumulated fat leads to excessive weight gain which may occur due to a coalition of many factors such as a sedentary lifestyle, lack of physical exercise or improper eating habits. Although a host of involuntary causes such as genetics, hormonal and environmental factors can also lead to such. Recent studies have even concluded that endocrine disorders and medications comprising of psychotic drugs, estrogens, insulin and other such are also likely to lead to obesity.

Symptoms of obesity: Apparent symptoms of obesity include excess body fat, occasional shortness of breath, unwarranted sweating with a foul odor and persistent fatigue. These conditions also lead to further complications like diabetes, infertility and hypertension to name a few.

How to manage obesity with Ayurveda?

In Ayurvedic terms, obesity is called Medarog, which is caused when the Kapha is triggered. A dense, sticky, wet, heavy humor which manages all structure and lubrication in both the mind and the body is known as Kapha. Kapha provides nourishment to the various tissues of the body through several micro channels but when aggravated it leads to the production of toxins which are dense and heavy and subsequently block these micro channels. These toxins heap up in the micro channels and cause a drastic increase in the production of fat tissues, consequently causing an increase in weight. By abolishing foods that aggravate the Kapha from one's diet, people may treat obesity.

The next step would include cleansing the fat tissues using different herbs. Avoiding oily, fried and processed food is highly advisable. Avoiding foods rich in carbohydrates such as potato and polished rice also helps. Increased consumption of greens and fruits helps restore stability and when coupled with exercise, it can be a relatively quick fix to overcome obesity.