ROLE OF AYURVEDA IN THE MANAGEMENT OF OBESITY (STHAULYA): A LITERARY REVIEW

Abstract

In this era, most people are suffering from lifestyle disorders like cardiovascular diseases, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, diabetes mellitus, etc. unhealthy diet, wrong sleeping patterns, less physical activity, stress all these things are leading people towards lifestyle disorders. The occurrence of these diseases is directly linked to the day-to-day habits of an individual. People are inclined towards a sedentary lifestyle that can lead to various chronic diseases, which can have life-threatening consequences. Today’s generation has become physically inactive due to the modernization and development of multiple technologies, which leads people towards a sedentary lifestyle. Obesity (Sthaulya) is one of the lifestyle disorders which is more complex and invites several complications like hypertension, multiple joint pain, diabetes mellitus, fatty liver, etc. In Ayurveda, it is described under the term medoroga. In Charaka Samhita Acharya Charaka has described sthaulya under ashtoninditiya purusha. The main factor in sthaulya vyadhi is the abnormal function of med-dhatvagni. A metabolic disorder occurs due to an imbalance between the intake of energy and its expenditure, which results in the growth of adipose tissue and increased body weight. Ayurveda is one of the most ancient sciences which describes fundamental and applied principles of health disease and its management. There are many drugs, various formulations, pathya-apathya, dincharya, rutucharya, and yoga which are helpful in the treatment and prevention of obesity. Ayurveda has preventive and treatment aspects about sthaulya (obesity), which this article studies. The objective of this study is to study the effectiveness of ayurvedic management in obesity, to study obesity, to study sthaulya, study medoroga.