Abstract: Obesity is a condition where excess fat has gained and it has an adverse effect on health. It is defined as an accumulation of body fat more than 22% of the total body weight for man and more than 30% of total body weight for women. It acts like, precursor of many dangerous illnesses. Homoeopathy is a holistic and safe way to overcome obesity without any side-effects. Homoeopathic medicines also correct the underlying problems such as overeating, stress, and endocrinal problems. Homoeopathic management of obesity in females along with lifestyle alteration is being researched to study the effectiveness of homoeopathic medicines.1
Keywords: Homoeopathy, Diet and Regimen, Homoeopathic management, BMI, Obesity, Repertory.
Introduction : The rapid urbanization and industrialisation and dramatic lifestyle changes that accompany these trends has led to the pandemic of obesity . Obesity excessive fat accumulation that can lead to severe health impairments. Obesity is associated with an increase in mortality, with a 50-100% increased risk of death mostly due to cardiovascular causes. A crude measure of obesity is the body mass index (BMI), a person with a BMI of 30 or more is generally considered obese and with BMI equal to 25 or more is considered overweight. For children less than five years of age, overweight is weight-for-height greater than 2 standard deviations and obesity is greater than 3 standard deviations above the WHO Child Growth Standards median. For children aged between 5-19 years’ overweight is BMI-for-age greater than 1 standard deviation and obesity is greater than 2 standard deviations above the WHO growth reference median. growth reference median
Diseases associated with obesity
Type1 Diabetes-Is association between childhood obesity, higher BMI, increased risk of subsequent type1 diabetes.
Type2 diabetes- Insulin resistance and hyper insulinaemia. Weight loss associated with improvement. Excess insulin retain sodium, expansion of blood volume, production of excess nor epinephrine, smooth muscle proliferation – hallmark of Hypertension.
Osteoarthritis-Obesity predisposes to degenerative joint disease. Cumulative effect of wear and tear on joint due to obesity, greater the burden of fat greater the trauma to joints with time.
Gall stone- 6 times more common in obese than non obese. Increased total cholesterol, increased biliary excretion and cholesterol in bile, cholesterol rich gall stones.
Dyslipidemia- Increased risk of CAD due to hyper TG, Low HDL Syndrome X-distinctive metabolic syndrome-abdominal obesity,
insulin resistance, hyper TG, low HDL, HTN, increased risk of CAD.
Thrombosis- increases the risk of ischaemic stroke. Abdominal obesity is associated with increased risk of thrombosis.
Hypoventilation syndromerespiratory-anomalies, increased sleep both at night and day. Apnic pauses during sleep, polycythaemia and eventually Rheumatic Heart Failure.
Obesity & Systemic Disease Association
GIT-increased gall stone, pancreatitis, Gastrointestinal reflux disease, Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, abdominal hernia.
Female Ginital tract/gynaecological Menstrual abnormality, infertility, carcinoma.2
Diagnostic criteria for obesity
• Body weight >20% above the ideal body weight.
• Waist circumference- women >35 inch & men >40 inch are considered as obese.
BMI = m/h2 (m = mass, h= height)
Investigations
Some baseline investigations for obesity to exclude possible underlying causes of obesity.
• Biochemic Profile
• Complete Blood count
• Fasting Blood sugar
• Lipid Profile
• Serum uric acid
• Serum T3 and TSH.
Homoeopathic treatment
Homoeopathy is a holistic and safe way to overcome obesity without side-effects. Homoeopathic medicines also correct the underlying problems such as overeating, stress, and endocrinal problems. This article emphasis on management of obesity with homoeopathic medicines. Homoeopathic treatment is based on” similia similibus curanter’’ Where constitutional medicines selected on the basis of totality of symptoms, so one can lose weight by improving digestion, elimination & metabolism.1
Repertorial approach
Kent’s Repertory
GENERALITIES
OBESITY-Calc., Caps., Ferr., Graph.,
-body fat, but legs thin -am m
-old people-kali c3
Synthesis repertory
GENERALS OBESITY: Anac, Calc, Caps, Ferr, Graph, Natm, Phyt,
-Children in- CALC,ant c,bad,caps,kali-bi
-thyroid gland ;from dysfunction of:influ
-menopause; during: calc ar, Graph, sep
-old people; in: Aur, Kali c
-Legs thin, body fat but: Am m4
Homoeopathic medical Repertory by Robin Murphy
Generals OBESITY General: CALC, CAPS, FERR, GRAPH, PHYT,
Children in- CALC, ant c, bad, caps, kali-bi
menopause; during: clac ar, Graph, sep
–elder people;in: AUR , CALC, KALI C
Young, people, in-ant-c, CALC5
BOGER BOENNINGHAUSEN’S CHARACTERISTICS AND REPERTORY
SENSATION AND COMPLAINTS IN GENERAL
Obesity, corpulency etc.:Aco,Ant-c, CALC-C, CAPS, cup, FERR, Grap, Kali-bi lyc, Pul, Phyt, Seng, Sul
Of chidren: Calc-c
1.Calcarea Carbonica
A patient is fatty and flabby. The patients usually have tendency to perspire profusely, especially on the head. These patients cannot tolerate cold air. Certain peculiar eating habits are also found in these patients. The eating habits include craving for boiled eggs, and strange things like chalk, clay, pencils, lime, etc. Due to a sluggish metabolic activity, the patients are almost always constipated. This medicine can also be considered if the excess weight gain is due to thyroid problems.
2. Natrum Mur
The person gained excess weight due to long-continued stress or depression. The important symptoms include excessive heat in the patient’s body and intolerance towards the heat of the sun. The patients usually suffer from anemia. Another important symptom is this medicine is the craving for extra salts in the diet. In essence, a person has weeping tendencies, especially when alone, worsens when someone consoles him/her and reserved nature.
3. Lycopodium
The patients who require Lycopodium are chronic sufferers of gastric troubles like flatulence and constipation. They have a tendency to crave for sweet foods. They also indulge in hot drinks and hot food. They show a tendency to eat far beyond their capacity with resulting bloated abdomen and weight gain. Mentally, the person requiring this medicine is very irritable and easily roused to anger,
4. Nux Vomica
Nux Vomica is recommended for persons who have gained excess weight due to sedentary habits. The persons are chronic sufferers of obstinate constipation. Such a person has a continuous urge to pass stool, but only a little stool is ejected at a time. The second symptom is intolerance to cold air. The third most important symptom is the eating habit – a person in need of Nux Vomica for losing weight likes spicy food, fatty food, and stimulants like coffee or alcoholic drinks. Mentally, the person is extremely sensitive to external impressions and gets angry to an extreme degree too.
5. Antimonium Crudum:
This is mainly a prescribed for obese children in order to help them lose weight. A child who possesses extreme irritability, very cross nature, and an aversion to being touched or be looked at. These children also have a marked aversion to cold bathing. The significant indicator of using this medicine to lose weight is craving for acidic things like pickles in the child. The child’s tongue in this case is usually thickly white-coated and the stomach is deranged with alternate diarrhea and constipation due to a habit overeating.
6. Thyroidinum
It produces anemia, emaciation, muscular weakness, and sweating, tingling and increased heart rate. It exerts great influence over goiter and excessive obesity and acts best in females with paleness and uterine fibroids or mammary tumors.
7.Ferr met
Flabby, anemic and plethoric persons with false plethora and relaxed muscles. Easily irritable constitutions having voracious appetite.
8.Fucus vesiculosis:
Obesity associated with non-toxic goitre with flatulent tendency and obstinate constipation. This remedy is used in material doses and triturated preparations.
9. Phytolacca berry
Clinically found to be efficacious in obesity
Reference
1. http://www.jmedpharm.com/index.php/home/article/view/102.
2. https://www.tjhms.com/uploadfiles/17-22.20190207100515.pdf.
3. Robin Murph 2018 Homoeopathic medical Repertory, third ed, B jain publisher, p946
4. Dr Frederick Schroyens 2012, Synthesis repertory homoeopathicum syntheticum edition 9.1 B jain publisher p1995.
5. J T Kent Repertory of Homeopathic materia medica 6th American edition B jain publisher.
6. C. M. Boger 2019, Boger Boenninghausen characteristics and Repertory, B jain publisher, p911
About Author:
Dr. Rushali. Sudhir. Gugaratti
BHMS, MD (Part1)
Department of Repertory.
Father Muller Homeopathic Medical College
Deralakatte, Mangaluru- 575018
Email: [email protected]
