Controlling the bulge is always a problem. But with Christmas and New Year round the corner, what you’re looking at is double trouble. Dr Farokh Master tackles the BIG one.
Who is obese?
By definition, a person who weighs 30 per cent or more over her ideal weight. Excess weight is usually defined by measuring the body mass index (BMI), which is calculated by measuring a person’s weight in kilogrammes and then dividing it by that person’s height in metres squared.
An average BMI in an adult is within the range of 18.5 to 24.9. In an overweight person, it ranges between 25 to 29.9, but in obese cases, it is over 30.
What’s wrong with being overweight?
Chronic overweight is a serious medical problem and can be a contributory cause of many health complications like hyper-tension, diabetes, heart disease, athero-sclerosis, osteoarthritis, premature ageing, personality problems and premature death.
Why this affinity to fat?
The number one cause is over eating! Other causes are hypoglycaemia, emotional and psychological factors, and nutritional deficiencies. People who are unhappy or feel lonely or useless, turn to comfort eating to calm their anxieties. Paradoxically, overweight people are under nourished because junk food has a lot of calories, but not much to offer by way of nutrition.
* Lack of exercise is one of the prime causes of being overweight. You have to balance your calorie intake with calorie expenditure.
People with a low metabolic rate (the slow burners) put on weight faster than the fast burners.
* Medical conditions like thyroid insufficiency slow down the metabolism as well as reduce physical activity, thus contributing to overweight. A damaged liver or kidney can also cause weight gain.
* Women tend to gain weight during periods of hormonal change, like adolescence, pregnancy and menopause. Some women who take the Pill tend to gain weight as well. With the onset of menopause, a woman gains weight because the levels of estrogen, the hormone that gives a woman her feminine shape, drop.
* Recent studies have demonstrated the danger of overfeeding infants. A very high caloric intake during infancy and early childhood can lead to the development of an excessive number of fat cells, which may be permanently fixed in number.
The only safe way to reduce is to:
* Eat four to six small meals a day.
* Avoid all white or brown sugar, refined and denatured foods, white bread and salt.
* Eat vegetables, fruits, sprouts and maintain a high-fibre diet.
* Drink lots of water.
* Exercise more.
Homoeopathic Remedies
# Fucus vesiculosus to tackle the weight gained after pregnancy.
# Ginkgo biloba to control eating disorders caused by depression.
# Natrum muriaticum to deal with accumulation of fat mainly over thighs and buttocks.
# Ammonium muriaticum when one has thin legs but a large body.
# Iodothyroine for thyroid dysfunction.
Home Remedies
# The best cooking oils are from maize, sunflower seeds or linseed.
# Eat ripe tomatoes every morning for breakfast, they contain the necessary vitamins and minerals.
# Cabbage is useful as it contains tartaric acid, which inhibits the conversion of sugar and other carbohydrates into fat.
# Finger millet makes you feel full and helps to curb over eating. At the same time, millet provides the necessary vitamins and minerals.
# Kelp is a sea plant and has a natural iodine content that is useful for obesity.
# Most important is that you chew your food properly. This helps digestion, gives you the feeling of being full, and thus prevents overeating.
Photograph: Zul Siwani
Make-up & hair: J D Jagtap
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