AYURVEDIC REMEDIES FOR OBESITY
An excessive accumulation of fat in the
body is called obesity. In Ayurveda this condition is called medoroga. There are many places in the body where excessive fat is accumulated. The most common areas
are the
abdomen,
breasts and buttocks. The fat in the body is primarily drawn from the oils, ghees and other fatty substances consumed through food and drink. Normally this fat, during the process
of metabolism, produces energy and heat. Fat also enters into the composition of some tissue cells in the human body. For example, the covering material over the nerve fibers
contains
a type of fatty material. The tissue cells of the brain and the muscles also contain fat. Nature has provided fat to accumulate in some of the joints to avoid friction during
movement.
Fat in the body is also synthesised from the starchy material taken along with food. When fatty or starchy ingredients of food are taken in excess, fat in excess of the requirement
of the
body gets deposited in parts of the body. A by-product of fat called cholesterol circulates in the blood vessels and gets deposited in the walls of the vessel resulting in high
blood pressure. Excessive fat may also impair the function of the vital organs like heart, liver and the kidneys. It may also result in diabetes. The most common difficulty the
patient experiences because of excessive fat is breathlessness on even slight exertion. Such types of patients may even get afflicted by a serious type of asthma.
Intake of fats and carbohydrates in excess results in obesity. Lack of exercise also helps in the accumulation of fat in the body. Lack of mental work helps in the synthesis of fat
from the carbohydrates taken through the food and instead of being consumed, gets deposited in the body.
Ayurvedic Treatment for Obesity: The patient should be asked to take up physical as well as mental exercise and should be asked to give up sedentary habits. Persons working in offices should have a little
walk after taking their food. Guggulu is the drug of choice for the treatment of this condition. The gun-resin extracted from this plant is used in medicine. It is also used for the
purpose of incense like agarbatti and dhup. Guggulu is purified by a special process before it is administered internally. For purification, this gum is boiled with the decoction of
triphala and then strained though a cloth. This is given in a dose of one gm. four times a day followed by a cup of hot drink of choice. There are many compound preparations to which
guggulu is added as the principal ingredient. The most important ones are Navaka guggulu and triphala guggula. They are available in tablets of 0.125 gm each. Four tablets of this
compound preparation are to be given to the patient four times a day (a total of 16 tablets a day) After the intake of this medicine, some hot drink should be given to the patient.
Diet to taken by Obesity patients: The patient should, as far as possible, avoid taking sweet and fatty things. Rice and potato which contain a lot of carbohydrates should be avoided. Among the cereals, wheat is
better, and the patient can be given barley and maize also. Bitter and pungent things are good. Vegetables like bitter gourd, bitter variety of drumstick, patola, are useful for the
patient. The patient can be given tea and coffee in good quantity. Intake of tabacco for persons who are not habituated with it, helps in the reduction of fat. This should be given
to the patient only in small quantity as a medicine because it has many adverse effects on the body.
Haritaki is very useful in this condition. It helps in the clearance of the bowels and works as a tonic for the body. The pulp of this fruit should be crushed to a powder and given to
the patient in a dose of one teaspoonful at bedtime with a cup of hot water. This should be given daily. In the beginning the patient may have loose motions. But after some time his
body gets used to it and it no longer has purgative effect. Murabba prepared from this fruit can be given to the patient every day in place of the powder.
Other regimens: The obesity patient should resort to physical and mental exercise and he should not sleep during daytime. Sleeping late at night and getting up early in the
morning is very
useful.
