Abstract

A CRITICAL REVIEW OF AYURVEDIC AND SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE OF DIETARY MANAGEMENT OF OBESITY

Dr. Ravi Sharma*, Dr. Drishya Dinesh and Dr. Yogesh Kumar Pandey

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Abstract

Obesity is a state of excess adipose tissue mass. BMI greater than or equal to 25 kg/m2 is overweight; BMI greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 is called obesity. This is a complex condition. Many individuals who have obesity also struggle with issues related to their mood, selfesteem, quality of life, and body image. Management of co-morbidities and improving quality of life of obese patients are also included in treatment aim. Obesity is a burning issue and a major public health challenge in today’s era. Food is very important for nourishing not just the body, but also the mind and conscience. Hence, the time of eating, the right kind of posture while eating and amount of food consumed matters equally as much as the type of food eaten. Overall, about 13% of the world’s adult populations (11% of men and 15% of women) were obese in 2016. The worldwide prevalence of obesity nearly tripled between 1975 and 2016. An escalating global epidemic of overweight and obesity “Globesity” is taking over in many parts of the world. Studies show that diet plays a major role in weight loss and management. Analogous to this, classics mentioned a detailed description of Sthaulya which is a Santarpanjanya Vyadhi. Appropriate Pathya Ahara is equally important and promising when combined with therapeutic drugs.

Keywords: Ayurveda, Pathya-Apathya, Obesity, Sthaulya.