Obesity is a disease where you have too much excess fat in your body. You are obese if your BMI (Body Mass Index) is 30 or higher. BMI is a measure that considers the weight along with your height. You will be in the overweight group if your BMI is higher than 25. 

Obesity is a severe medical condition that needs treatment. If not treated, it can lead to issues like diabetes, heart problems, cancer, and many other diseases.

Ayurveda treatment for obesity offers a different approach to weight loss. It has minimal side effects and also lesser chances of weight gain later. 

More than 13% of adults in the world are obese. It is also widespread in children with more than 20% in the overweight group. In 2017, more than 4.7 million died all over the world due to complications from obesity.

If you are obese, losing even 5 to 10 percent of your weight can greatly improve your situation. Obesity is a difficult condition to treat. Many people who manage to lose weight regain it within the next five years. 

Obesity mainly occurs when you take in more calories than you burn. Your body will store the excess calories as fat. 

Some of the main risk factors are 

Family history: You have a higher chance of being obese if your family members are overweight.

Age - As you grow older, you will have a lesser muscle mass and a slower metabolic rate, which will make it easier for your body to gain weight. 

Diet: A diet with lots of junk and processed food with a high amount of fat and calories is a sure shot way to gain weight. Alcohol, soft drinks with a sugar base, etc. does also lead to obesity

Inactivity: Sedentary lifestyle with no physical activity is another high-risk factor

Lack of sleep: It can lead to hormonal changes, which will make you feel hungrier and crave more high-fat foods. 

Pregnancy: Women will gain weight during the pregnancy period. Some of them find it difficult to lose weight later. 

Stress: If you are under, you tend to eat more food, especially junk food.

Medications: Some medicines have side effects which can lead to weight gain

Obesity can lead to a lot of complications, such as:

Heart disease and strokes: If you are obese or overweight, you will mostly have high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels. These increase the chances of heart diseases and stroke.

Type 2 Diabetes: Even though your body will produce insulin, obesity can make the cells in the body to be resistant to its actions, and that leads to diabetes

Cancers: Obesity increases the risk of various cancers like breast cancer, kidney, liver cancer, etc.

Digestive problems: Heartburn, gallbladder diseases, and liver problems are common with those who are overweight.

Osteoarthritis: If you are obese, you tend to put more weight on your joints like your knee. It increases the risk of arthritis

Sleep apnea: You are more likely to have sleep apnea if you are obese 

 

On top of these issues, you may also have mental health issues like depression, anxiety, etc. due to obesity

Your doctor will typically perform a physical examination and may ask for some tests. These will include:

Taking your health history: The doctor will ask for details about your food habits, activity levels, family history. 

Checking your BMI: Your body mass index(or BMI) is a good indicator. A BMI value higher than 25 means you are overweight, and you are obese if it is higher than 30. BMI is a function of your height and weight. 

Waist measurement: Excess fat tends to get deposited near your waist area. A waist size of more than 40 inches(102 cms) if you are a male or a waist size of more than 35 inches(89 cms) if you are family (female)is a cause for worry. 

Blood tests: Your doctor may ask for some blood tests to check for other diseases

Obesity, or medaroga in Ayurveda, is a Kapha disorder, according to Ayurveda. 

As per Ayurveda, you will be healthy if the three main energy forces Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, are in balance. All of us have these three forces in us. These forces are a combination of the elements earth, water, air, space, and fire. You will fall sick if these forces are not in balance in your body.

Kapha is the force that makes up the body structure- the bones and muscles. Poor lifestyle practices, wrong food choices, and all can reduce the rate of metabolism in the body. 

As the digestion is not proper, food gets converted into toxins or Ama. It forms medas, or fat tissues, which get deposited in various parts of the body. These fat tissues block the formation of healthy tissues, thus affecting the function of Kapha dosha. 

As this Ama blocks the channels of all tissues, it causes Vata imbalance as circulation becomes an issue. The disturbed Vata activates the digestive fire in the body. It makes you feel hungry even when your body does not need food. So you start eating more, which causes obesity.

The focus of Ayurvedic panchakarma treatment is to remove the toxins and rejuvenate your metabolism. These steps help in maintaining an optimal weight even after the treatment and minimizes weight again. 

The main treatment methods are deep dry massages with herbal powders and leaves, bundle massages, steam baths, and oil massages. Purification procedures like induced purging, vomiting are also part of the treatment plan.

You will need to be in the hospital for 21-28 days for the treatment. Your doctor will suggest the diet for you during the treatment. At the time of completion, the doctor will also give a detailed diet plan and lifestyle changes that you need to make after the treatment.

Medications, lifestyle changes, and surgery are other options for reducing weight. 

Some of the medicines can have major side effects, so it is best to talk to your doctor and understand the risks. 

Your doctors will help you follow a better and healthier diet plan that works for you. An exercise program that will increase your daily activity and build up your strength and metabolism will also be of great help. 

Weight loss surgery, or bariatric surgery, is another option. This surgery works by limiting how much food you can eat. The surgical options include Gastric sleeve and gastric bypass surgery.

While you cannot control some factors such as family history, you can control most other factors that cause obesity. A list of such steps is below.

Exercise regularly: You need about 45-60 minutes every day and 4-5 days in a week.

Follow a healthy diet plan: Include food rich, which is low in calories, rich in fiber content, fruits, vegetables in your diet.

Check your weight regularly: Make sure that you check your weight and ensure that it is in control