Obesity, weight loss, diet for weight management, simple slimming tips – these are the most searched terms on the Internet today. Even the medical and cosmetic industries spend billions on this research. Yet, the rate of failure is high with the current medical treatment. And in most cases, there is a strong tendency to regain weight; about one-third of lost weight is regained within a year, and almost all within five years.

Obesity is basically assessed by BMI. Many health surveys conducted in India show that Indians are going towards the red zone on obesity. In spite of this, 25% of men and women in India continue to think that they are not obese.


Ayurveda’s understanding of obesity is different from that of modern medicine or that of any other system of medicine. Ayurveda tries to evaluate weight gain through its unique Prakriti analysis which can be compared to a genetic coding of an individual.


This helps the Ayurveda doctor to understand the cause, pathogenesis and management of the problem and to recommend a better, result-oriented treatment program or lifestyle modification.

Understanding obesity

In a family of four with the same food and exercise habits and lifestyle, one or two individuals become obese. Why – Ayurveda has the answer.

Every human body reacts differently to food depending upon their metabolism, about which the modern medical system is still clueless. Just like fingerprints and genetic codes, the metabolic system is different for each individual.

The metabolic system directs organs in our body to convert nutrients into energy tissues. In Ayurveda, this understanding is divided into three functional elements – air (Vata), fire (Pitta) and water (Kapha) attributing them to three primary kinds of genetic codes.

Prakriti, in Ayurveda, refers to a person’s psychological and physical characteristics, including his tendency to create an imbalance with the universe, and his ability to resist and recover from illnesses and conditions. This plays a vital role in understanding and addressing personalized obesity solutions.

According to Ayurveda, a person belonging to the Kapha element is most likely to experience this trouble.

Source: sify.com

BDST: 1659 HRS, AUG 05, 2015
Edited by:  Sharmina Islam, Lifestyle Editor