OBESITY

DEFINITION

The term obesity is derived from the Latin word ‘OBSEUS’ which means to eat excessively. Obesity is a metabolic and lifestyle disorder, in which excessive or abnormal accumulation of fat in the body occurs due to unhealthy lifestyle. It is considered as the ‘New world syndrome’. Obesity is a leading risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure and increased risk for cardiovascular disease and certain chronic conditions.

EPIDEMIOLOGY

The worldwide prevalence of obesity has nearly tripled in between 1975 and 2016. The high prevalence of abdominal obesity has been reported in Asian Indians and South Asians. In India the prevalence is 135 million people with generalized obesity, 153 million people with abdominal obesity and 107 million people with combined obesity

CAUSES OF OBESITY

Sedentary lifestyle
Unhealthy diet and untimely food habits
Certain medications like steroids
Certain disease conditions
Lack of prenatal and postnatal care
Psychological factors
Genetic factor

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

Difficulty in breathing while sleeping and climbing stairs
Difficulty in movements
Darkening and thickening around neck, axillae, elbows, under breasts, waist and groins
Stretch marks
Feeling dull, lazy and lethargic
Depression and low self esteem
Snoring

IDENTIFICATION

Body mass index or Quetelet’s index = weight / height (in kg/m²)
Skin fold thickness (upper arm, subscapular region, and upper abdomen)
Broca index = height (in cm) – 100

BMI CLASSIFICATION

BMI (kg/m²)	CLASSIFICATION	RISK OF OBESITY
18.5 to 24.9	Normal range	Negligible
25.0 to 29.9	Overweight	Mildly increased
>30.0 30.0 to 34.9 35.0 to 39.9 >40.0	Obese Class I Obesity Class II Obesity Class III Obesity	Moderate Severe Very severe Morbid

TYPES

Central obesity, also called as abdominal, visceral, android or apple shape obesity occurs due to increased intra-abdominal fat.

Generalized obesity, also called as gynoid or pear-shaped obesity occurs due to subcutaneous fat.

COMPLICATIONS:

Type 2 diabetes mellitus
Hypertension
Dyslipidemia
Hyperuricemia
Osteoarthritis
Varicose veins
Urinary incontinence
Gall stones, hormones dependent cancers – breast cancer, polycystic ovarian syndrome

NATUROPATHY AND YOGA TREATMENT

FASTING THERAPY

A combination of intermittent fasting followed by calorie restriction is an effective measure for losing the body weight. It improves insulin sensitivity by reducing food intake.

DIET THERAPY

WATER DRINKING: Adequate water intake helps in detoxifying the body.

JUICE DIET: Seasonal fruit juices like fresh lemon juice, sweet lime juice, orange juice, pineapple juice, melon juice, etc., are rich in anti- oxidants which act as detoxifying agents.

DIET PLAN

“Food becomes poison, when the quantity is increased”

Early morning – herbal tea (dry ginger, coriander, cinnamon decoction)
Breakfast – one bowl (400 gm) fruit salad (seasonal fruits like apple, orange, guava, papaya, pineapple, pomegranate, water melon, musk melon, palm tree fruits)
Sprouts (half bowl – 50 gm green gram, bengal gram, ground nuts)
Coconut slices – 2 to 3
Mid Morning – Vegetable juice ( ashgourd, carrot, beetroot, plantain stem juice)
Lunch – 200 gm – raw vegetable salad (cucumber, tomato, carrot, radish, onion, beetroot, chow- chow, ashgourd, capsicum, beans, broccoli, peas, cabbage)
Mid Afternoon– 150 ml of tender coconut water
Dinner – 400 gm – Seasonal fruit salad.

FOODS TO BE STRICTLY AVOIDED

White sugar
Refined wheat flour (maida)
Bottled juices, jams, sauces, fast foods, oily foods, deep fried foods, soft drinks, cheese, butter, etc.,

CHROMOTHERAPY

Orange and yellow color – help to improve metabolic rate

HELIOTHERAPY

Sun bath -15- 20 minutes (increases BMR)
Plantain leaf bath- once a week for 30 minutes – helps in detoxification

MASSAGE THERAPY

Full body massage once a week – it improves blood circulation and enhances the excretory process.
Regular partial massage – mobilizes the fat and tones the muscles

MUD THERAPY

Mud therapy helps in improving blood circulation to the abdomen and pelvic regions and enhances the functional capacity of the cells
Mud pack on abdomen for 20 minutes – regulates the hunger
Full mud bath – once a week – helps in detoxification

HYDROTHERAPY

Steam bath- twice a week with precautions
Cold hip bath – 20 minutes – improves blood circulation to abdominal and pelvic organs
Neem water enema – once a week
Water drinking – 2.3 to 3 liters daily

ACUPUNCTURE

CV-16, CV-12, ST-21, ST-25, ST-29, ST-36, SP- 6, SP-9, SP-10, SP-14, SP-15, H-7, P-6, GB-21, GB-34 – all these points improve metabolism and reduce fat accumulation.

YOGA THERAPY

ASANAS:

Trikonasana
Vajrasana
Ardha matsyendrasana
Pawanmuktasana
Halasana
Naukasana
Sarvangasana
Viparitakarani
Shalabhasana
Dhanurasana

PRANAYAMAS

Nadi shodhana pranayama, bhastrika pranayama, kapalbhati pranayama

KRIYA

Kunjal kriya

RELAXATION

Yoga nidra