Obesity
Author posted a number of messages on or touching obesity issue. Here
he summarizes his overall view, so that members who may be interested
in particular aspects may discuss the issues further.
People gain weight when the body takes in more calories than it burns
off. Those extra calories are stored as fat. When this pattern keeps
repeating for months and years, obesity develops.
Genes - small parts of the DNA that people inherit from their parents
and that determine traits like hair or eye color - can play an
important role in this weight gain. Some of our genes tell our body
how to metabolize food and how to use extra calories or stored fat.
Some people burn calories faster or slower than others do because of
their genes. The weight gain driven by genes can run in families, but
just how much is due to genes is hard to determine. Many families eat
the same foods, have the same habits (like snacking in front of the
TV), and tend to think alike when it comes to weight issues.
Doctors notice that some people are always active and wish to
take up some activity without tiring out. They may not have hefty
bodies or muscles but they are active. These persons are whom
ayurveda classifies as "pitta" dominant. On the other hand, people
with
hefty or large bodies, heavy weights are sluggish in movements and
would not like to take up physical work. They are inherently lazy,
move like an elephant: slow and in rhythm. They are "kapha"
dominants, but slow and steady wins the race. "Pitta" type can win
running race if it is for a short time.
Their energy develops in "spikes" on a graphical curve, when plotted
against time.
The importance of "prakruti" in weight loss approaches was recently
brought out by a scientific study too: For obesity reduction Atkins
diet was popular. While Atkins may suit some, one size does not fit
all. In this study,
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ayurvedaonline/message/6959
all persons for whom Atkins does not give
any advantage got included. For some, Atkins may indeed be the ideal
approach, but it isn't necessarily right for everyone. The other
key, which Atkins seemed to stumble upon almost by accident, is that
his diet eliminates most of the processed foods that are the most
likely cause of weight gain in the first place.
Steps to reduce obesity
root treatment of obesity lies not in cutting out or reducing some
portion of dietary component, but in balancing the diet in harmony
with the region in which a person is living.
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ayurvedaonline/message/5872
Obesity can develop due to stress too. Instead of taking medication,
natural ways to reduce such obesity are discussed at:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ayurvedaonline/message/5996
Cravings are often a result of nutritional deficiency, a leading
cause of stress related obesity:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ayurvedaonline/message/5893
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ayurvedaonline/message/3551
Praval/Godanti Bhasma and drinking oxygen rich spring or mineral water
with a high pH factor, combined with minerals and other elements, can
help provide our body the natural ability to fight off disease.
Prvala pishti greatly increases the oxygen level in the body,
thereby allowing the body to rid itself of toxic waste that continues
to build up. That's why when we eat "junk food" or heavy to digest
fat/protein rich non vegetarian food, the body diverts oxygen away
from the primary metabolic functions and works overtime trying to
digest our high caloric intake. That's why when we eat junk food or
large meals we feel sluggish afterwards. Body literally slows down
its metabolism to compensate for the overload. The "pot" bellies,
central
obesity, a major factor in developing metabolism related diseases
like CAD,
Diabetes, is not due to carb rich foods but tendency to have large
two meals,
especially the night meal at late overnight hour and sleep thereafter.
Poor oxygen in cells gives rise to muscle aches, poor digestion,
dizziness, depression, irrational behavior, weakness,
irritability, memory loss, circulation problems and stomach acidity
too,(Message#7272)
(Messages # 6242, 6308, 6394) gave
breathing techniques which discussed increasing the lung capacity and
making lung function more efficient, increasing blood circulation so
that the chance of atherosclerosis or arterial plaques are reduced.
Increasing cellular oxygen was also shown to take care of obesity
among many other benefits. The effect of breathing, through
balancing of glands also helps in balancing hormones and taking care
of obesity, as demonstrated by several cases by Baba Ramdev.
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ayurvedaonline/message/3833
Aamlapitta. Or Vidagdh ajirna. Modern science calls this Gastritis.
In ayurveda, amlapitta does not mean only accumulation/reflux of
acidic fluids in
stomach, but also a swelling on stomach. The part of stomach which
tapers off and joins duodenum gets swelling. This ultimately leads to
truncal obesity and loss of longevity as recently discussed in
post#6958, 7107, 7216.
However, research indicates the distribution of fat below navel is
considered not only healthy but leading to longevity:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ayurvedaonline/message/7095
The truth of this was mentioned by ancient sage Vatsayana who wrote
Kamasutra, coining the term "hastini" for women with massive hips
and thighs. They are described to have good fertility and become good
mothers.
If you can not use several difficult exercises for weight loss and
if you are a victim of hypothyroidism use the color blue
to control obesity.
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ayurvedaonline/message/6987
Obesity is a lifestyle disorder. Less food together with adequate
sunlight exposure appears to be a key to lack of obesity.
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ayurvedaonline/message/6890 The
salaried class havine sedantary lifestyle, spending 10-11 hours daily
in fluoroscent lights and airconditioned offices/cars if they develop
obesity, it is but natural. Weight
gain occurs during the night. Those who sleep early and well, get up
fresh and
early in the morning, are far less likely to suffer from obesity than
those who do not get to sleep until late and wake up with a headache,
uneasiness or fatigue, traditional signs of pitta vitiation and the
most likely candidates for obesity. The circadian rhythm specifies
11pm to 1 am as the local time in which liver does considerable food
processing. If it receives considerable energy in this time, food
will be reduced to dhatus properly, else meda (fat) will accumulate.
See:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ayurvedaonline/message/6794
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ayurvedaonline/message/5491
Yogurt, curd and other dairy products can promote obesity:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ayurvedaonline/message/6770
Contribution of bad industrial and processed food to obesity is
discussed at:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ayurvedaonline/message/5671
Most Indian regard rice as causing obesity, since easy to digest and
has good number of calories. But this is myth as shown at
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ayurvedaonline/message/5310
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ayurvedaonline/message/5288
Most women have to put up with obesity
as a result of hormone disturbance either due to HRT or to post
pregnancy hormone disturbance. The contribution of C-section to
obesity has been already discussed in many posts on ayurvedaonline.
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ayurvedaonline/message/6729
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ayurvedaonline/message/1723
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ayurvedaonline/message/1696
Some ayurvedic remedies aimed at post-partum obesity control are
discussed at:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ayurvedaonline/message/5786
Obesity in such cases is due to stopping of production of higher
dhatus. Lack of higher dhatus leads to infertility. obesity and
infertility are connected, as observations have shown. Also well
known connection between insulin resistance and polycystic ovaries, a
major enemy of fertility proves that accumulation of blood sugar as a
result of insulin resistance and development of gestational diabetes
during pregnancy can reduce the fertility of baby in the womb.
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ayurvedaonline/message/6650
Ayurveda classifies obesity as a majority "Vata" disorder and
therefore requires long time actions to cure or control the disease
in tune with all vatic disorders. . its origins can all be traced
back to nutritional deficiencies.
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ayurvedaonline/message/6632
Global epidemic of obesity, requires that fat
stored in liver be reduced first, in order that obesity reduction
methods show success.
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ayurvedaonline/message/3820
Even fertility and sex life is governed by liver to some extent. The
8 day detox programme mentioned in message# 5820 does help in liver
detoxification to some extent and represents
a simple `home detox' if Basti+Enima is omitted. In medical
astrology, liver health is assumed to be governed by planet Jupiter,
satvic in nature. Also govern progency, thus indicating how fertility
is connected to liver health. While strong stomach acids may enable
one to digest heavy proteins and fats in non-vegetarian foods,
ultimate benefit will be decided by ability of liver to convert the
food nutritional content to higher dhatus.
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ayurvedaonline/message/6173
Couples which take treatment for infertility have to go through three
liver detoxes individualized for each person in authors practice.
Though obesity could be reduced with use of bio-identical hormones in
some cases, author found that Panchkarma techniques were very
helpful. Combination of these herbal medicines together with panch
karma treatments such as swedan, virechan, vaman were found to
accentuate the cure rate.
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ayurvedaonline/message/6124
Chemical poisoning by vaccines, modern potent drugs and antibiotics
may cause teenager obesity, precocial puberty, hypertension and
diabetes in our children where our most attention is focused in
middle age. Possible approaches for this cases also involve chelation
and cleanses, as used for middle aged peri-menopausal women.
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ayurvedaonline/message/6074
Lastly a wonderful natural liquid available all across globe can
tackle obesity as well as skinny body, where weight gain is desired.
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ayurvedaonline/message/4068
Dr Bhate