Obesity

Obesity is a physical condition that results from excessive storage of fat in the body. Obesity has been defined as a weight more than 20% above than what is considered normal as per body mass index, which is calculated from an individual’s age, height and weight. Presence of fat tissue is essential as natural energy reserve in our bodies. But excess fat tissues result in obesity and causes health disorders.

• Diet: Regular consumption of high-calorie foods, such as fast foods contributes to weight gain. High fat foods are dense in calories. Loading up on soft drinks, candy and desserts also promotes weight gain. Food and beverages like these are high in sugar and calories.
• Inactivity: Sedentary people are more likely to gain weight because they don’t burn calories through physical activities.
• Psychological factors: Some people overeat to cope with the problems or deal with emotions, such as stress or boredom.
• Genetics: If one or both of the parents are obese, your chances of being overweight are greater. Your genes may affect the amount of body fat as you store and where that fat is distributed. But, your genetic make-up doesn’t guarantee that you will be obese.
• Age: As you get older, you tend to be less active. In addition the amount of muscle in your body tends to decrease with age. This lower muscles mass leads to a decrease in metabolism. These changes also reduce calorie needs. If you don’t decrease your caloric intake as you age, you will likely gain weight.
• Smoking: Smokers tends to get weight after quitting. This weight gain may be partially due to nicotine’s ability to raise the rate at which your body burns calories (metabolic rate). When smokers stop, they burn fewer calories. Smoking also effects taste; quitting smoking makes food taste and smell better. Former smoker often gain weight because they eat more after they quit.
• Pregnancy: During pregnancy a woman’s weight necessarily increases. Some women find this weight difficult to lose after the baby is born. This weight gain may contribute to the development of obesity in women.
• Medications: Corticosteroids and tricyclic antidepressants, in particular, can lead to weight gain. So can some high blood pressure and antipsychotic medications.
• Alcohol: Drinking alcohol adds calories to your diet-just one regular beer are about 150 calories. If you don’t cut back somewhere else’ adding just one beer daily could cause a weight gain of more than one pound a month. Additionally, excessive drinking can stimulate your appetite and make you less likely to control portion sizes.

• Large body frame.
• Difficulty in doing daily activity.
• Lethargy.
• Breathlessness.

• Juice-Honey: fasting on lime juice-honey water is highly beneficial in the treatment of obesity. In this mode of treatment, one teaspoon of fresh honey should be mixed with the juice of a half a lime in a glass of lukewarm water taken at regular intervals.
• Trifala: Trifala, an herbal combination of amlaki, bibhitaki and haritaki is good for losing weight.
• Indian Plum: The leaves of the Indian plum are another valuable remedy for obesity. A handful of leaves should be soaked overnight in water and this water should be taken in the morning, preferably on an empty stomach. This treatment should be continued for at least one month to achieve beneficial results.
• Cabbage: Cabbage is considered to be an excellent home remedy for obesity. Recent research has revealed that a valuable chemical called tartaric acid is present in this vegetable which inhibits the conversion of sugar and other carbohydrates into fat. Hence, it is of great value inn weight reduction. Substituting meal with cabbage salad would be the simplest way to stay slim.
• Tomato: One or two ripe tomatoes taken early in the morning as a substitute in the breakfast, for a couple of months, are considered a safe method of weight reduction.

• Do not skip any meal: Eat three regular meals a day. Avoid skipping any meal.
• Small frequent well-spaced meals are desirable: Instead of eating only 2 more meals during the day like lunch, dinner, it is advisable to eat 4-5 more small mini-meals spaced between 2-3 hours apart during the day.
• Drink plenty of water: Drink 8-10 glasses of water daily to avoid fluid retention. Drink a glass of boiled water daily after every meal.
• Exercise: Exercise is an important part of any weight reduction plan. A workout for at least 30 minutes to an hour every morning is beneficial. Walking is the best exercise to begin with. Other exercises include swimming, bicycling, trekking and so on.
• Curb negative emotions and develop positive outlook: Above all, obese persons should make every effort to avoid negative emotions such as anxiety, fear, hostility, and insecurity, and develop a positive outlook on life.
• Behavior Modification towards Eating: For three months, eat food by chewing a single morsel at least 50 times, so that it turns into almost a liquid before gulping it down. It has very effectively reduced the obesity of many people.