Causes of Obesity & Yoga for Weight Loss

The most important and basic cause of obesity is an energy imbalance in the body. This is mainly caused when the number of calories consumed by the body is more than the number of calories that are burned by the body. This is most common in case of individuals who tend to eat more refined foods that are rich in calories. These foods are also called energy dense foods. These foods are also very rich in fats and sugars and are generally low in protein and vitamin content. This kind of dietary intake for a prolonged period of time produces energy imbalance in the body that gets manifested in the form of overweight and ultimately leads to obesity.

Sedentary lifestyles and work related deskbound inactivity further adds fuel to the fire. The excessive consumption of energy dense foods coupled with physical inactivity is the most important reason for increase in number of overweight and obese people all around the globe. The ancient practices of yoga aim towards a lifestyle that is based on the natural way of life. It insists on vegetarian way of life, which is undoubtedly the food that is most rich in vitamins, minerals and proteins. Also it aims at the principle of ahimsa. But in the modern world it may not be possible to completely adhere to all the principles of dietary regulations prescribed by yoga. In such situations the need to keep the consumption of processed and fat and sugar rich foods to a minimum can be very useful. Also adequate intake of green leafy vegetables, fibre rich vegetables and other foods and supplementation with natural vitamins and minerals is very important.

Scientists are increasingly inclined to believe that genetics plays an important role in obesity. Many researches have given substantial indications towards overweight situations and obesity being related to genetic reasons. Whether this will be substantially proven or no remains to be seen, but it gives foundation to the theories. So if there is a history in any individual’s family that indicates towards overweight and obese situations, it is best to remain careful and not indulge the system too much.

There are many diseases and disorders that create an overweight or obese situation. The primary diseases that fall in this category are various endocrinal disorders like malfunctioning of pitutiary gland and thyroid glands. The side effects of certain medications also cause overweight and obese situations. Many anti pregnancy drugs and many other specific treatments create a situation in the body where an energy imbalance is falsely created and the person tends to put on excess weight in short durations of time.

This is a situation generally faced by women in late thirties or early forties. This situation is frequently created after child birth when the woman is not able to get rid of the excess weight gained during the gestation period. This can be attributed to modern day unnatural procedures of caesarian sections and the given medications during such procedures. Many medications taken before the conception that prevent the pregnancy also lead to creating excess weight related situations. This has to be supplemented with proper physical activity to prevent the situation from striking. Practicing pranayama is a good way to burn the excess fats stored in the body and also to get rid of the toxins accumulated in the body as a result of chemicals contained in the medications. Also long period of inactivity after childbirth in the name of false care leads to a state of imbalance. Childbirth is a natural process and the divine power has given enough strength to the women to cope up with the entire process. 0ne needs to follow the natural processes of healing and follow a healthy lifestyle.

Repeated attempts to lose weight by crash dieting procedures also leads to accumulation of excess fats in the body that the body is totally unable to cope up with. Such practices are best avoided. Yoga provides substantial exercise regimes for both the mental as well as the physical faculties. These are designed as per the natural configuration of the body and so are completely in – sync with the human system. In order to lose excess weight it is therefore advisable to use these practices of yoga for weight loss and make them into a daily habit.

Stressful lifestyle and habit of thinking and worrying too much creates a chemical imbalance in the system. These chemical situations in the body also create situations of overweight and obesity because they provoke a person to indulge in excessive eating. This, in many situations is body’s reaction to cope up with the stressful situations. This is termed as the emotional weight. Many women in the middle ages are obsessively prone to this. Insufficient sleep also creates a situation of chemical imbalance in the body leading to an individual putting on weight.

Quitting smoking causes a false situation of reduction of body metabolism. This happens because the nicotine creates increase in the metabolism. When cessation of smoking happens the body has a situation where it cannot burn excessive fat. Also there is an urge to suppress the urge to smoke with consumption of food. This also leads to accumulation of excess fats in the system.