Obesity - How Can Ayurveda Be Of Help?

Obesity is known as medarog in Ayurveda. This condition is caused by the increase in the Kapha dosha. The structure of both the mind and the body is controlled by Kapha. Ayurveda treats obesity by eliminating kapha aggravating food items from an obese person s diet and detoxifying the Medovahi (fat channels).

A person is called overweight when he has a bodyweight that is 10-20% higher than what his ideal weight should be as per the body-mass index (BMI). An obese person is one whose weight is more than 20% of what it should be. In more severe cases, where the body weight is more than 50% the condition is called morbid obesity and this can be extremely harmful to a person s health.

Cinnamon is a miracle herb for weight loss. Various researches have seen that cinnamon reduces hunger pangs and cravings and keeps one full for a longer period of time. This prevents a person from overeating and simultaneously aids weight loss and other problems associated with obesity like PCOS, diabetes, hypertension etc.

People do not have different metabolism rates. It has been seen that a heavier person burns more calories to keep the various functions of the body running. The resting metabolism rate (number of calories burnt during the resting phase) is higher in a person with higher body weight than a person with low body weight. The weight gain can be checked by maintaining a fit body and building lean muscles.