The Leana and the Obese

Well built implies being well fed and it means being well off too !This notion seems to have made  a deep impact on the minds of many especially parents These day parents are a worried lot They are at their wite end trying to figure out the best nutrition  regime for their children Their children either eat too less or too much and striking a perfect balance is a herculean much and striking a perfect balance is a  herculean take indeed  In many cases it is the former complaint that rules.In addition peer pressure cut -throat competition and obvious comparisons between friends  have very serious effect on the child psychosocial and  physical health

The physical appearance of a person is to a large extent determined by heredity lifestyle food intake and physical exertion Ahandful of cases might be due to hormonal disturbances diseases of the digestive system psychological disorders and the like.

In recent years over-cautious parents desirous of seeing their child look healthy It is for this reason that pharmacies are flooded d with attractive nutritional supplement and the multinationals are laughing all the way  to bank This is fact a bane for children who are otherwise perfectlty healthy but are lean due to their genetic make -up

A march against nature always ends in disaster Hence an otherwise perfectly healthy but lean  person an otherwise perfectly healthy but lean person does not need a health tonic A saying in ayurveda states karshyameva  varam sthoulyath  which means It is a boon to be lean rather than obese because the obese are more prone to disease than the lean.

GUIDELINES ON PUTTING  ON WEIGHT

According to Ayurveda only an individual who has lost weight due to physical or psychological diseases and increased physical exertion as in the case of manual labourers farmers athletes and the like is eligible to consume  medicines that increase body weight The same is indicated for pregnant women post- partum women young children and the elderly only in case they are anaemic (pale) Due to increased expenditure of energy during summer moths these formulations are indicated for normal healthy people in summer only

Ayurveda advises the following regimen for those  Who desire to gain weight

• Consumption of plenty of milk and meat (if non-vegetarian)
• Foods rich in daily diet
• sweets oil baths
• Frequent oil baths
• Increased hours of sleep

All these activities make one gain  weight The ollowing home remedies bring added results

• Fresh frothing buffalo milk when applied and gently massaged over the face,not only gives a glowing complexion but also prevents sunken cheeks.It nourishes the facial muscels and helps them grow.
• A cup of wheat flour is mixed with an equal quantity of powdered bark of bastard teak tree. To this are added requisite quantities of water, ghee and finely powdered sugar. The whole mixture is heated over a low flame and a thick paste followed by a cup of hot milk, consumed twice daily, increases body weight.
• It is well-known that black gram has all properties of meat. Whole black gram is warmed over a low flame and powdered.One spoon of this powder is added to a cup of hot milk. Raisins with sugar are added to it. the mixture is heated to a thick consistency. When this is consumed twice daily, the body adds weight.
• Though ash gourd is a vegetable rich in water content,it also has weight increasing properties.This vegetable is peeled and grated The final product is squeezed out of its water content and dry heated in a pan with a little ghee added. An equal quantity of sugar is added to this and mixed well in to the paste.One spoon of this jam followed by a cup of hot milk is consumed twice daily to add on body weight. Asparagus roots or withania roots, when used in place of ash gourd,have a similar effect on the body. 

OBESITY

The mentioned disorder is just one face of the coin. The other face is truly nightmarish as it has a deleterious effect on one's health. The fact remains that obesity is the root cause of some of the worst ailments of man like diabetes,heart disease, arteriosclerosis[narrowing of blood vessels] etc.

Statistical evidence show that women are more prone to obesity than men. Psychological disorder ending in alcoholism is an indisputable cause of obesity in men.Unscrupulous consumption of high calorie food and hereditary factors also determine obesity. A weight that is ten percent over and above that corresponding to one's age and height is the prime  indication to start losing weight.

Abalanced diet and an exercise regimen to suit one's age is a perfect recipe for a trim  figure.In fact, weight loss is prescribed not only for healthy obese individuals but also for patients with Chronic diseases like diabetes,psoriasis etc.

As experience suggests, one's eppetite increases in winter. Lack of exercise and a full stomach adds several kilos and a vissible paunch.Hence, indoor exercises are recommended in winter.

The following measures are suggested in Ayurveda to reduce weight.loss is prescribed not only for patients with chronic diseases,like diabetes, psoriasis etc

• The following measures are suggested in Ayurveda to reduce weight;
• The part of the body with excess fat deposition is rinsed in lukewarm water several time in a day This melts down that extra fat.

• A meal is skipped twice anytime during a week and hot water is consumed  frequently.

• Exercise suitable for age sex is a must for all age groups.One should exercise till he/she sweats adequately.Exposure to the early rays of the sun and practising deep breathing exercises in open lush green environment help in weight reduction.Consumption of horse gram, jowar,corn, green gram, the water floating on curds allowed to stand for long,and honey in the routine diet helps one shed a few kilos.
• In addition, the following home remedies give the final touches to a shapely figure;
• The seeds of chebulic myloboron, beleric myloboron and gooseberry are extracted and powdered well.This powder mixture is mixed with a little water to make a paste which is applied to those parts of the body with excess fat deposition.After a while a warm water bath is taken. This melts down excess fat deposits.
• The stem of tinospora creeper is crushed to extract the juice.Three spoons of this juice is mixed with equal quantity of pure honey and consumed early in the morning on an empty stomach.
• A herb called nut grass grows abundantly in agricultural fields.This herb is washed thoroughly in running water and dried in sunlight.It is then powdered well. The processed form of this herb is also available at the local Pansari-shop.One teaspoon of the above powder is dissolved in acup of hot water and consumed thrice daily after food.In addition to reducing obesity,it also relieves the joint pain associated with excessive weight.
• The seeds of emblic myloboron plant are powdered well and filtered over a clean piece of cloth to obtain  a very fine powder. One spoon of fine powder mixed with honey is consumed three times a day to get beneficial results.
• Chebulic myloboron nut is crushed to remove the seed and is later powdered.

The part of the body with excess fat deposition is rinsed in lukewarm water several times. a day In addition to shedding excess this also reduces breathlessness and constipation that are the  common complaint of obese people   Finally there  are no alternatives to a strict diet and regular exercise  ir order to sculpt an enviable figure.