Obesity 

Often referred to as a disease, obesity is actually a sign of what may well be a spectrum of different kinds of disorders – genetic or environmental. In fact, there is no single definition of obesity. It may be simply an extreme degree of overweight - but a person can be overweight without being obese. A 250-pound, 6' linebacker, for example, may be overweight according to ordinary standards, but may actually have a below-average amount of body fat. In contrast, a person in a normal weight range but with very sedentary habits, could have a small muscle mass, be storing excess fat, and thus be classifiable as obese.
About one-half of all Americans are above their ideal weight, as determined by standard tables, and for the majority of them, the excess weight is in the form of body fat, not muscle mass. Of this group, half exceed their ideal weight by 20 percent or more. Hence, they are classified as obese.
Obesity has become epidemic in the U.S. and other developed countries. More than 58 million Americans are overweight, and that includes at least 1 in 5 children.
Two principal risk factors that lead to obesity, poor nutrition and lack of physical activity combined, are the second leading cause of preventable death (tobacco is first). Obesity is associated with significant increases in risk for type II diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, high cholesterol, coronary artery disease, degenerative joint disease and psychosocial disability. Certain cancers - colon, rectum and prostate in men; uterus, biliary tract, breast and ovary in women - are more prevalent in the obese.

Causes of obesity.

Ayurvedic approach to Overweight - Causes and effects of obesity

Ayurveda identifies eight different types of bodies that are prone to diseases. Out of these, an obese body is described as the one afflicted with the most diseases and troubles. Ayurveda considers underweight and overweight as signs of imbalance of the vata, pitta, and kapha systems. Overweight or obesity is mostly found in people with predominantly kapha-type constitutions. Obesity occurs when excess fat builds up in the adipose tissue. his excess fat buildup is caused when a person consumes more calories in one day than that person is able to burn off. Overweight people are prone to several diseases like coronary thrombosis, high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, gout, liver and gall bladder disorders.
The Ayurvedic approach is the perfect answer to overweight because ayurveda does not recommend any weight loss pills or fast weight loss programs. Ayurveda empahsise on a holistic solution that allows people to loose excess weight and keep it off, while also improving their overall health.  

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