Sthaulaya(Obesity) Treatment in Ayurveda

According to Acharya Charak:

Between obesity and emaciation, emaciation is better, even though both have similar means of treatment; if disease occurs in both, it afflicts the obese person much more.

For thinning the obese, heavy but non-nourishing (Aptarpana) measures are desired.

Food and drinks that alleviate Vata but reduce Kapha and fat is taken.

The administration of Shilajatu with the juice of Agnimantha is excellent.

Panchakarma: Dry and hot enemas, sharp therapies and dry massages (udwartan).

Activity: To destroy excessive obesity, one should gradually increase staying awake at night, exercise, and mental work to lose obesity.

According to Acharya Sushruta:

One should avoid the causes of its origin.

Useful drugs: Shilajatu, Guggulu, cows urine, Triphala, iron powder.

Diet: honey, barley (Yava), Mudga pulse etc. along with drying and scraping substances.

Activity: exercise (vyayam), and

Panchakarma: Lekhana-Basti (scraping enema).

Sushruta mentioned both extremely obese and extremely emaciated persons are always censured. But between the emaciated and the obese, the emaciated one is considered better.

According to Acharya Vagbhatta:

Those with excessive stoutness should be treated with Shodhana (purification therapies) And those with moderate stoutness should primarily be treated with Pachana (digestive) and Dipana (appetite-kindling) therapies first and those afflicted with less stoutness and strength and those with moderately strong doshas should be treated by controlling hunger and thirst.

Diet: Kulattha (horse gram), Jurna (old grain/millet), Yava (barley), Mudga (green gram), honey-water (Madhu-udaka) are beneficial.

Nisha (Turmeric and Daruharidra), Brihatyau (Brihati and Kantakari), Hapusha, Patha and Kembuka root powder along with honey, ghee, and oil in equal proportions -taken with sixteen times the quantity of Saktu (roasted grain flour), destroys extreme obesity.