The Covid-19 pandemic has confined many to their homes with little or no physical activities. Some fall into binge-eating trap and become Obese in no time. Obese people have a hampered immune system and are often susceptible to diseases. Find out how Obesity can be managed through Ayurveda, the ‘Science of Life’.

Sthaulya or Medoroga (Obesity) is the condition caused by excessive accumulation of fat (medas) in the body. An obese individual characteristically presents himself/herself with protuberant tummy, bulky-shaking buttocks and breasts. Obesity is basically a Santarpana janya vyadhi; meaning, a malady caused by excess ingestion of food stuff and less utilisation. Intake of sweet substances, junk food, heavy and oily items and physical inactivity lead to the morbidity of Kapha dosha and Medo dhatu (fat tissue). As the properties of ingested food and Medo dhatu are akin, the ahara rasa (essence of food) gets converted to Medo dhatu, leading to impaired bio-transformation at the tissue level. Due to this, other body tissues won’t receive adequate nourishment and the medas (fat) exhibits a precise affinity to get deposited in certain specific body areas like abdomen, buttocks and breasts. This type of formation of medas is not considered as a physiological process, as meda is abadha (not compact) in nature and excess in quantity. Family history can hasten this pathological condition.

Ayurveda gives more importance to pathya (suitable diet & related activities) than drug therapy in lifestyle diseases like Obesity. The general approach in the management of Obesity should be kapha samana (pacifying kapha), vata samana (pacifying vata), medosamana (reducing fat), athyagni samana (alleviating the excessive digestive fire) and apatharpana (restricting nourishment). That these therapies are more or less contradictory to one or the other makes the treatment complicated.

Any treatment should have the following actions viz. kapha samana, medohara, aama paachana (neutralizing toxic metabolites), athyagni samana, srothoshodhana (purifying the channels/clearing transport), virookshana (increasing rooksha guna) and chedana (removing fat from tissues). The diet should be predominant in katu (pungent), thikta (bitter) and kashaya (astringent) rasas. It is mentioned that the food substances used by Obese must be heavy to digest, but not nourishing in nature.

Grains such as barley, green gram, pigeon pea, horse gram and old bamboo rice are ideal. Poppy of paddy, Trikatu, brinjal (fried without oil), cardamom, chingata fish (a small, less fatty fish variety), leafy greens and oils such as mustard oil and safflower oil are also indicated. Intake of sesame oil in the empty stomach early in the morning is also beneficial against Obesity. Food prepared out of barley and Shyaamaaka (a type of medicinal grass) or barley and broken wheat is recommended as the main diet.

Beverages such as honey, honey water, arista, khadira saara jala, asana saara jala, hot water, buttermilk (rooksha takram-with fat removed), masthu (whey) and mandam (drained water after cooking rice) are highly useful. Taking water/beverages before meals and eating only after the food previously taken got digested completely also help.

Moderate exercise is better than heavy rigorous ones to get rid of medas. Half an hour to one hour of walking per day and moderate physical activity, coupled with yoga practices, will be sufficient to burn excess fat. Different types of fasting can be practised according to need.

Udvartana (powder massage done opposite to the direction of hair roots) is a very commonly done therapy in obesity. Sun bath is indicated for obese persons as it eliminates metabolic toxins, normalizes Agni (digestion & metabolism) and digests toxic metabolites.

Ayurvedic purification therapies like vamana (medically-induced vomiting) and virechana (medically-induced purgation) can be performed periodically if there is a tendency to become obese. Engaging in activities, increasing satwa guna (positive and creative) and reducing tamoguna of mind helps some obese persons as they give mental control and, thereby, reduce the tendency to indulge in worldly pleasures. Engaging in spiritual activities and practising satwik (less spicy, vegetarian) food also help bring down excess fat.

Foods such as milk and milk products, maasha (black gram), fish, meat, sugars and jaggery are to be reduced. Stop eating before you’re full and consume water after food. Internal drug therapy is supplement to diet and activities. Drugs like Varanadi kwatha, Varadi kwatha, various preparations of Silajit and Guggulu are the commonly used drugs in the treatment of Obesity.

(The author is Dr S Unnikrishnan, Ayurvedic exponent and former Head, Dept. of Swasthavritta, Amrita School of Ayurveda, Kochi).