Obesity in Ayurveda

Ayurveda is the very foundation storage of the ancient medical science of India. The therapeutic in Ayurveda is based entirely on the herbal drugs. Overweight/Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in India in the 21st century; with morbid obesity affecting 5% of the country's population .India is following a trend of other developing countries that are steadily becoming more obese. Unhealthy, processed food has become much more accessible following India's continued integration in global food markets. Indians are genetically susceptible to weight accumulation especially around the waist. Almost all great Ac?rya of Ayurveda considered dietetic, behavioral pattern & psychological factors as causes of Sthaulya (Obesity). For the 1st time, the hereditary components besides above mentioned factors were described by Acarya Caraka. It is the ?h?ra(food) (AtiSa?pur?a -excessive intake) which plays the major role in the causation of obesity. It is the end result of the discrepancy between the energy input versus energy output but hereditary factors as mentioned by both Ayurvedic(?c?rya Caraka only ) and modern medical sciences, also have got some role and this is evident from the fact that the obesity is often seen to be running in the family. This article reviews the Ayurvedic concept of obesity and it reveals that obesity (Sthaulya) is a du?ya dominating disorders principal du?ya are meda and rasa-dh?tu.