Obesity is a condition characterized by excess body fat. It is measured by a body mass index, or BMI, which calculates a ratio of height to weight. A BMI of 30 or greater indicates obesity, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Approximately 25 percent of American adults are considered obese. Some alternative medicine practitioners believe that Ayurveda, or traditional Indian medicine, may provide effective treatments for obesity. Ayurveda should not be used as a replacement for conventional medicine. Check with your doctor before using Ayurvedic practices to lose weight and control obesity.
Description
Ayurveda is thought to be one of the world's oldest forms of medical practice, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. This form of treatment has evolved in India over thousands of years. Its name is derived from the Sanskrit words "ayur," or life, and "veda," or science. Ayurveda is based on the idea that illness can be prevented by balancing the mind, body and spirit.
Principles
When treating obesity, Ayurveda uses the same principles as for the treatment of other conditions and diseases. All living beings are thought to contain the elements of the universe, and a lack of harmony with the universe is thought to produce disease. Prakriti, or constitution, plays a role in obesity treatment. In Ayurveda, prakriti refers to a person's psychological and physical characteristics, including the tendency toward imbalance with the universe, and his ability to resist and recover from illnesses and conditions, notes the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
Obesity treatment also depends on doshas, or life force energies, which are thought to affect the activities of the body. Imbalance of any of the three doshas--vata, pitta and kapha--may produce symptoms associated with that dosha.
Obesity Doshas
People with predominantly kapha dosha are most likely to experience obesity, according to Holistic-Online.com. This dosha is associated with the elements of water and earth and is thought to produce the heaviness of these elements when out of balance. Pitta doshas are associated with digestive fire, and people with low pitta may not process food property, which is thought to lead to obesity.
Nutritional Treatment
In Ayurvedic medicine, there is no single approach to treating obesity. After taking the pulses and examining the patient, an Ayurvedic practitioner designs a treatment plan to bring the doshas back into balance. A person with low pitta may be advised to eat certain foods to increase her digestive fire. These foods include mangoes, ginger, pineapple and dark, bitter greens. A kapha imbalance may call for astringent, pungent and bitter foods, such as ginger.
Other Treatments
Several herbs are commonly used in Ayurvedic treatment regimens for obesity. Turmeric, barberry and trikatu, a herbal compound made from Indian long peppers, ginger and black pepper, are thought to help bring doshas into balance. Ayurvedic practitioners also commonly recommend yoga, exercise, meditation and pranayama, or breathing exercises, to control obesity, according to the Holistic-Online.com.
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