A Review on Sthoulya with special reference to Obesity

Abstract

Obesity is an abnormal accumulation of body fat, usually 20% or more over an individual ideal body weight. In Ayurveda, Obesity is described as Medo Roga or Sthoulya. Continuous indulgence in highfat food, fried items, etc., along with a sedentary lifestyle leads to excess accumulation of body fat which gets deposited in the numerous body channels. Appropriate Ayurvedic internal medicines along with Shodhan procedures are used to achieve the best results, without any side effects. Vamana, Virechan, Basti, Udvartan according to vitiation of Dosha, these Shodhana procedures gives effective results. Pathya Apathya (Diet management) & Lifestyle modifications play an important role in the management of Obesity. Sthaulya (Obesity) is such a disease, which provides the platform for so many hazards like hypertension, diabetes mellitus etc. as well as psychological disorders like stress. The mortality and morbidity rates are more in obese person. It is one of the most common, yet among the most neglected public health problems in the present world. In rich countries, obesity is more common among the less educated, but in poor countries, obesity is more common among the highly educated. In classics Sthoulya (Obesity) has been described under the Santarpanajanya Vikara and in Bahudoshavastha condition. Ayurvedic treatment aims not only at the radical removal of the causative factors of the disease, but also at the restoration of Doshika equilibrium.