Obesity is a condition in which individual is significantly overweight. Excessive body fat is accumulated on the belly, buttocks, breasts and thighs. This may lead to diabetes, hypertension and arthritis. 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. Roll of medicines with dietary correction is to remove obstructed Kapha and let allDhatus nourish equally. When Kapha increases in abnormal fashion, Fat metabolism gets hampered and person be comes Obese.
Obese or not?
Are you over-weight? Here is a simple calculation to find it. Subtract 100 from your height measurement in centimeter, if you are chasing that number in your weight, you are becoming obese (Eg: your height is 170 cms, 170-100= 70 so if you cross 70 kg you are becoming overweight & obese.) Is it in your case? Do not panic. Ayurveda has a panacea of remedies for reducing your over weight and maintain it. It not only recommends pills to loose weight but also trains you scientifically regarding your Ahara(Food), Vihara(life style), Achara(Practicing Vyayama and Yoga) & Vichara(Shaping your thoughts & attitudes), come, feel, learn, adopt Ayurveda life way and lead a happy & healthy life.
Signs and Symptoms
Reduction of longevity, premature ageing, low sex drive, poor sexual performance, unpleasant body odour, excessive sweating, breathlessness on exertion, difficulty in breathing, excessive hunger, excessive thirst, difficulty in walking, tiredness, general debility, loss of vitality and mental confusion.
Complications due to Obesity
Obesity is not merely a cosmetic problem. This is a medical condition involving complex mechanisms. Diabetes, fistula and lipomas occur in people with kapha constitutions. Arthritis is more common in the vaata groups. Pitta types suffer from complications like hypertension, hyperacidity, hyperhydrosis (excessive sweating) and kidney disorders.
Treatment Plan
Depending on your body type, the medication varies. If you are diagnosed as vaata type, then purification procedures for vaata, like cleansing enemas, will be carried out. After this, you may be subjected to mild oil application and fomentation. Only minimum oil application is used for treating obesity, enough to protect the body from the heat of fomentation.
External oil application is carried out with oil containing hot herbs like calamus, ginger and mustard. Fomentation or sweating methods will be done externally or internally. External fomentation can be done by various methods, like whole-body fomentation via a steam box. After fomentation, oil enemas will be given followed by cleansing enemas. The latter usually contains a decoction of dasamoola, honey, salt, some specific herbs and water. However, most of the ayurvedic physicians prefer alternate oil and cleansing enemas.
If you are diagnosed as kapha type, then for alleviating kapha, external massage with powders of agaru, calamus, ginger or mustard will be done. These substances help to remove excess fat deposited under the skin. They also help to restore the elasticity to the skin and improve complexion.
Treatment of aama, which is an important treatment modality, will be done by two methods—one by administering the herbs which remove aama (aama paachana) and secondly by increasing the conversion power of Agni by giving substances that stimulate digestion. The herbs used for this purpose are dry ginger, black pepper, gudoochi, turmeric, Cyprus, triphala etc.
In obese persons, though the digestive fire may be optimum that of the adipose tissue level is impaired. To improve its power, herbs like trikatu, shilajit, cyperus, kashtha, barberry, calamus, ativisha, katuka, chitraka, karanja, turmeric, guggulu, arjuna, catechu, camphor, neem, rohitaka, shinshipa, apaamarga, brahmi, bilwa are used.
Eat right, Exercise well and live healthy! A healthy lifestyle brings about 80% of body healing in human beings.
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