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More than 72 million Americans are obese.

This is the finding of a new report from Centers for Disease Control.  Obesity was rising, was not a secret ; but what is alarming is the size of the epidemic now.  72 million in a population of 300 million (approx.) gives us a 1 in 4 ratio.  Any epidemic that has effected such a large swath of population, is unlikely to go away  easily.

This will take more than 1 post to cover.  So lets first start with what the CDC report has stated.  The data, the impact, etc.

• More than 72 million U.S. adults are obese.
• $ Persons who are obese have medical costs that are $1,429 higher than those of normal weight.
• Obesity is common, serious, and costly. In 2009, about 2.4 million more adults were obese than in 2007. This epidemic has affected every part
  of the United States. In every state, more than 15% of adults are obese, and in nine states, over 30% of adults are obese.
• The medical care costs of obesity in the United States are staggering.
  Recent estimates of the annual medical costs are as high as $147 billion

Who is classified as obese ?

Obesity is defined by body mass index, or BMI, which is calculated from your height and weight.  BMI greater than or equal to 30 means you ?
are obese.

Who is more effected ?

Non-Hispanic black women and Hispanics have the highest rates of obesity (41.9% and 30.7%).

What other disorders are caused by obesity ?

Obesity is a contributing cause of many other health problems, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and some types of cancer. These are some of the leading causes of death in the U.S. Obesity can cause sleep apnea and breathing problems and make activity more difficult. Obesity can also cause problems
during pregnancy or make it more difficult for a woman to become pregnant.

What impact do those effected by obesity have on the health care system ?

Obese persons require more costly medical care.

What is causing this epidemic ?

Diet and Lifestyle

What has changed about American diets ?

Weight gain occurs when people eat too much food and get too little physical activity. Societal and community changes have accompanied the rise in obesity.  People may be eating differently due to the following reasons:-

What are the lifestyle changes that are causing this epidemic ?

1. Many communities are built in ways that make it difficult or unsafe to be physically active
2. Access to parks and recreation centers  may be difficult or lacking and public
3. transportation may not available.
4. Safe routes for walking or biking to school, work, or play may not exist.
5. Too few students get quality, daily physical education in school.

What are some of the other medical complications of obesity ?

The following disorders have been attributed to obesity by the CDC report.

1. Sleep apnea
2. Lung diseaseS – Asthma, Pulmonary blood clots
3. Liver disease – Fatty liver,  Cirrhosis
4. Gallstones
5. Womens Arthritis
6. Gout
7. Stroke
8. Pancreatitis
9. Inflamed veins,often with blood clots
10. Heart disease – Abnormal lipid profile, High blood pressure
11. Cancer – Breast, Uterus, Colon, Esophagus, Pancreas, Kidney,Prostate
12. Women – Abnormal periods, Infertility
13. Diabetes

Within the United States, what is the state wise breakdown of diseases

The number of people who are obese varies from state to state. For example, 18.6% of Colorado residents are obese, compared with 34.4% of Mississippi residents. In 2009, 9 states had obesity rates of 30% or more compared with no states in 2000.

What are the changes that can be made to have a meanigful impact on obesity ?

CDC’s report clearly identifies the need for different stakeholders to play relevant roles.

The United States government can – Promote change.
First Lady Michelle Obama recently launched the Let’s Move! program which seeks to eliminate childhood obesity within a generation.  The campaign’s main points of action are:
Empowering parents and caregivers.
Providing healthy food in schools.
Improving access to healthy, affordable foods.
Increasing physical activity.
See http://www.letsmove.gov/

States can:-

1. Provide supermarkets and farmers’ markets with incentives to establish their businesses inlow-income areas and to offer healthy foods.
2. Expand programs that bring local fruits and vegetables to schools, businesses, and communities.
3. Support hospital programs that encourage breastfeeding.
4. Adopt policies that promote bicycling and public transportation.

Communities can

1. Create and maintain safe neighborhoods for physical activity and improve access to parks and playgrounds.
2. Advocate for quality physical education in schools and childcare facilities.
3. Encourage breastfeeding through peer-to- peer support programs.
4. Support programs that bring local fruits and vegetables to schools, businesses, and communities.

All people can

1. Eat more fruits and vegetables and fewer foods high in fat and sugar.
2. See http://www.mypyramid.gov/
3. Drink more water instead of sugary drinks.
4. Limit TV watching in kids to less than 2 hours a day and don’t put one in their room at all.
5. Support breastfeeding.
6. Promote policies and programs at school, at work, and in the community that make the healthy choice the easy choice.
7. Try going for a 10-minute brisk walk, 3 times a day, 5 days a week.
   See http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/adults.html.

A great report from CDC indeed.  Some clear stat points, further threats identified, and solutions provided too !

In the coming posts, Ayurveda Group will talk about the role Ayurveda can play in the fight against obesity.

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Some tips to keep yourself a little lighter, active and pleasant all the time.

1. Take lighter lunch and nap for at least 10-15 min after that.
2. Make sure to take a long leisure walk after early dinner in the evening.
3. Stay awake for at least 2 hours after dinner and then sleep.
4. Mediate or read at bed time.
5. If you have a family, tell some stories from books or about yourself to the kids.
6. A glass of milk before bed, is a healthy habit.

There are some basic rules in Ayurveda that keep a person in perfect health throughout life. We wish you the same, dear readers!

There are quite a few suggestions and notes available everywhere on the net for Diabetic food. Here are our suggestions on what to eat in diabetes :

- Barley
- Whole grains
- Black chick peas roasted and light salted
- Madhupatra in sweets, tea, coffee or any cold drinks that one likes to take. It tastes 5 times sweeter than regular sugar and still helps reduce blood glucose level.
- Sprouts of Moong, Soya and black or green Chick peas.
- Green salads, including cucumber, spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, beetroot, red cabbage and tofu.
- Soyabeans made in different forms with olive oil.
- High amount of Turmeric root.

Isn’t it nice to know that so many veggies are there in variety of forms and norms to eat for Diabetic persons? Yes it is. Eating more veggies will help you improve your metabolism and reduce risk of any health disorders at any age.

Balanced diet, regular Pranayam and exercise can prevent metabolic disorders and even infectious or allergic disorders.

New research shows that the primary medicine, Avandia, taken for years in Type 2 Diabetes causes high risk of death, heart failure and stroke.

Instead, simple Ayurvedic herbal treatments that we recommend, can bring down the Sugar levels. Lowered sugar levels prevent kidneys, eyes and nerves from damage and weakness caused due to Diabetes.

Amla, Jamun seed, Fenugreek seeds, Bilva Patra and Arjuna are some of the ingredients in our treatment. Each of these are helpful in protecting nerves, muscles, tendons, eyes, brain cells and entire metabolism; in addition to bringing down the sugar level. The action starts right from the Liver and Pancreas, where accumulated obstacle results in blockage of Insulin secretion. The tube secreting Insulin from Pancreas gets cleaned and helps release pure Insulin, which mixes with blood and helps in reducing glucose levels. Hence it also helps in absorption of vitamins, calcium and protein in the body from the food that we intake.

Why risk added complications to your health (such as weak heart or kidney failure or glaucoma) when you have Type 2 Diabetes. Treat yourself with Ayurvedic medicines for Diabetes – live longer and healthier.

Ailing U.S. workers, hounded by debt and the 9.9 percent unemployment rate, are forgoing compensated leave with greater frequency and sticking to the daily grind, said the head of the biggest U.S. long-term disability insurer.

“If you don’t feel good about your own personal financial position, you’re going to kind of gut it out, if you will, at the office as opposed to filing the claim,” Unum Group Chief Executive Officer Thomas Watjen said today in an interview at Bloomberg headquarters in New York. “You’re going to be fearful that when you come back maybe your job isn’t there.”

People seeking to re-enter the workforce are facing an unemployment rate that remained near a 25-year high even as the economy returned to growth. For those contemplating leave, debts and home-price depreciation have left fewer financing options to boost funds beyond what disability stipends typically pay.

Ailing Workers ‘Gut It Out,’ http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-05-25/ailing-workers-gut-it-out-opt-against-disability-update1-.html

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As Ayurveda gains more followers and demand for Ayurvedic medicines continues to grow exponentially, along comes the threat of extinction.

The Economic Times reports that the Botanical Survey of India has done an assessment of the state of the nation’s wild medicinal plants used in Ayurvedic medicine. As you can tell by the headline, the prognosis for those species which are harvested from the wild–about 95% of herbs used are not cultivated–is decidedly not good.

The original study highlights five critically endangered species:

* Ulteria salicfolia, extracts from the rhizome of which can protect against ulcers
* Hydnocarpus pentandra, or the Jangli Almond, whose seed oil is used to treat ailments diverse as leprosy, arthritis, and diabetes
* Gymnocladus assamicus, a tree found in northeast India
* Begonia tessaricarpa, known as Rebe, which was thought to be extinct for 115 years before being rediscovered, and is used to treat stomach aches and dehydration
* Agapetes smithiana

To read the Planet Green (Discovery.com) article – click the following link
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/ayurvedas-medicinal-plants-extinction.html

More than 1.6 million Americans will travel abroad for medical treatment in 2012, up from 750,000 in 2007. says Deloitte Center for Health Solutions.

I get this question very often from my patients, quote – “This product suits my husband very well, but I am allergic to it…” ” Particular medicine works on her so well and it is ineffective for me…, why?” unquote.

Yes, we all have same human body, but cell constitution is different in all of us. We all are made of Panch Mahabhoot, Sapta dhatu and Tridosh. We all carry different taste, different thinking, liking and much more. As per Ayurveda, human body metabolism works on Tridosha. In every season, every 24 hours, we feel higher levels of Vata, Pitta and Kapha dosha one by one. All doshas exist in our metabolism and helps at decided times of the day and season fo the year to run our body machine effectively. However, we all have typical constitution, which is called Prakriti. According to Prakriti, a person carries a particular type of personality.

Vata Prakriti Person is usually active, fast, instant decision maker, small eater, thin hair and grey nailed person with thin body structure. Pitta Prakriti Person is usually short tempered, red eyed, thin hair and yellowish white skin toned, fast, good listener, good absorption capacity holder and thinker. Kapha Prakriti person is usually a slow eater, slow acting person, thorough thinker, good decision maker and good memory holder person. There are mixed personalities too such as Vatapitta, Kaphapitta, Pittakapha, Vatakapha, Pittakapha, Pittavata and some are tridoshaj. Even in mixed personality percentage of each dual doshas differ. So we all carry different personalities and body metabolism.

According to our body consitution, some food products are very suitable and some are less. Similarly some herbs are effective in cold for most of the people and some are not at all. So Ayurvedic medicines are to be given only after complete Prakriti examination and a thorough diagnosis. To know your constitution, please feel free to write to us at doctor@ayurvedagroup.com or call us at 1.407.965.5473.

I can write a whole book on proper diet as per Ayurveda. As I have written earlier, dietary habits can be general. In my posts earlier, I have talked about some broad guidelines on proper diet. But a balanced diet differs from male to female, pediatric age to geriatric age and for each Prakriti and each season. It also differs in persons suffering from metabolic disorders and persons living in particular environmental conditions.

Diatary habits, sleeping habits and morning and evening routines can be defined very well for general welfare. However, as per modern science, a balanced diet is also a standard formula. It must include vitamins, carbohydrates, protein and minerals. Be it any season and any constitution, fruits, vegetables and carbs are necessary in diet. Quantity and quality can differ however. Protein in two meals is also necessary. Good source of Vitamin E in the form of dry fruits is must in breakfast to keep neurological disorders away.

So overall, we must absorb all Vitamins, minerals, protein and carbs in 3-6 types of meals depending on your routines, age, gender, constitution and metabolism.

For your suitable diet consultation, please feel free to write to us at doctor@ayurvedagroup.com or call us at 1.407.965.5473.