Obese people look older than their age with less attractive and unpleasant appearance. Obesity is a very common problem in our society. Not surprisingly, mostly who are morbidly obese feel embarrassed to appear in public. It is common to sense that people are looking at them and commenting on their appearance and the difficulties it produces in dressing well and moving freely.
They prefer to withdraw and confine within the family circle and rarely venture in social gatherings. This may help them to cope with routines, but equally it deprives them of a chance to work outside the family. It is not too surprising therefore to find that the obese have a low level of self-esteem and a feeling of worthlessness and uselessness and it is natural for them to suffer depression. They hate their appearance and feel that they are totally unattractive to their life partner and to everybody.
What are the causes?
Obesity has multiple causes; the development of obesity is a complex interaction between genetic, psychological, socio-economic, hormonal and cultural factors. Genetics               The most important cause of obesity is a person’s Hereditary background. Obesity tends to run in some families, obesity may be reported from childhood. Clinically most patient's report of obesity during middle age. Endocrine disorders              Endocrine disorders play major role in obesity under which; Thyroid disorders to be the important part. Hypothyroidism causes unexplainable weight gain now a days.  Polycystic ovarian disease makes the teenagers obese to some extent. Obese women, especially those with upper body obesity, show more irregularity in menstrual cycles as well as greater frequency of other menstrual abnormalities than women with normal weight.  Women prone to be obese if medicated with “Hormonal preparations” such as oestrogens, progesterone to counteract their menstrual irregularities and use contraception.  Surgical removal of uterus and ovaries makes a woman obese.  Hypogonadism makes the teenage boys become flabby. Life-style               Another important cause is a person's life-style. This includes eating habits and exercise patterns. Dietary Habits               Increase in the prevalence of obesity is higher due to dietary fat. Obese patients eat more than what they need. The calorie intake exceeds the calorie used. It is a fundamental truth that if we take more calories regularly, then we will store them and put on weight. Another, important thing is a person's psyche. Sometimes we all tend to eat even though we are not hungry. Often, psychological pressures stimulate Over eating.  Smoking and drinking promote fat storage. Exercise                Sedentary life-style, and lack of physical exercise, such as office work or watching TV  are the strongest indicators of obesity. Some people sleep during daytime giving good rest to the body, which help to deposit more and more fat.
What would happen?
If you are obese, you are likely to suffer medical, physical and social problems. The first problem of concern is to reduce life expectancy of obese people. As compared to the normal built people, obese people have only 75 per cent of chance to reach the old age. Obese people often cannot do things that normal people can. They have to strain more to do simple things. Sporting activities are generally out, which excludes them from many family gatherings. Most cannot buy clothes easily of their size and find difficulty in getting in and out of cars, into the seats in a buses or cinema theatres. Flexibility gets reduced. The toes get progressively out of reach and personal hygiene can become a problem.                Physical activity of any sort can be quite difficult due to shortness of breath and easy fatigue, so that even housework or continuous employment is a challenge. There are several abnormalities in pulmonary function in obese individuals. There is a fairly uniform decrease in expiratory reserve volume and a tendency to reduction in all lung volumes, which makes the victim gasping on few steps. The obese individual has impairment in attending routine activities. This dysfunction is related to sleep, recreation, work and social interactions. In some studies obese persons were found to be significantly anxious and depressed than normal built persons. Major set of problems caused by morbid obesity is diseases other than physical disability and embarrassment. There is a long list of illnesses that are either caused by or made worse, by obesity. There are too many for you to focus upon, so we list those that are more important and frequent problems. These include:  Diabetes.  Cardio-vascular diseases.  Arthritis.  Menstrual Disorders  Gall stones. Obesity and Diabetes                Even moderate obesity, particularly abdominal obesity, can increase the risk of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus ten-fold. Fat tissue apparently has two roles in promoting diabetes:  It increases the demand for insulin.  It creates insulin resistance.
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Cardiovascular Disease and obesity
Hypertension is a common underlying cause of obesity. In obese young adults, the prevalence of hypertension is six times more than that of normal peoples. Weight gain in young adult is a risk factor for the later development of hypertension. The distribution of fat in the body may have an important effect on blood pressure. Hardening of blood vessels. ateriosclerosis, is another cause. Clinical studies show increased risk of cardio-vascular diseases in recent years. Most victims suffer with coronary artery disease, which predisposes heart failure. Arteriosclerosis may impair blood circulation in the brain causing a “Stroke.” Usually mild cardiomegaly is also reported due to overloading to the heart.
Obesity and Arthritis
There is a significant correlation between uric acid levels and obesity. An increase in body weight adds trauma to weight bearing joints and in middle age women's excess body weight is a major predictor of osteoarthritis of the knee. This is a mechanical problem and not a metabolic one. Weight reduction will markedly decrease the chance of developing osteoarthritis.
Menstrual problems
Obese women are predisposed to get menstrual irregularities, because obesity impairs hormones. Many obese girls suffer from infertility.
Gall stones
Gall bladder disease and fatty liver are common among obese patients. The cholesterol ratio is altered in bile secretion to predispose stones.
How to overcome?
You should have the will power to reduce excess weight. Always think "Positively" that you will lose weight to certain extent to live long. Make it a habit with your day-to-day exercise and diet and change your life-style. Avoid sedentary habits such as watching TV. Engage in some physical activities to burn your extra calories.  Avoid day sleeping.  Do not smoke or drink alcohol as they induce obesity.  Diet -Eat three or four moderate meals a day with high fibre and low fat diet.  Keep your stomach partially empty to fill with soft drinks, juices and plenty of water.  Fasting twice a week helps in reducing weight.  Eliminate sugar, which is similar to pure glucose and quickly used up by the body because it is easier to break down.
Exercise for losing weight
Plan exercise according to your physical ability. Daily and regular exercise tone up your muscles and improve your blood circulation. You need some sort of regular physical activity such as running, walking, jogging. Athletes shall involve in all indoors and out door games according to their taste.  Gardening gives you pleasant involvement. Cycling and swimming would make you more interesting. Make every thing into habit, and then you won’t miss it even a single day. Women can involve themselves in all household activities such as scrubbing and washing. Make your kitchen wonderful and look attractive. While watching television do some work such as knitting, slicing vegetables. Make things interesting. These will certainly make you to lose some weight. If you want to become more slim and trim, practice these simple exercises.                Cardiac and hypertensive patients may choose walking and lighter work. If you are an arthritic choose cycling and swimming, as it will not put more weight on your joints. Young adults should choose all types of exercises, ranging from jogging, horse riding and running. Young girls prefer skipping.
Belly reducing exercise
Lie on the floor, on your back, arms by your sides with palms upward, legs together and fully stretched. Raise the legs a few inches from the floor and move the legs up and down past each other like the blades of scissors. Continue till you feel tired. If you stick to moderate exercise and diet you could lose a lot of weight.
What treatment should I prepare for?
If you are obese consult your family doctor to know the cause. He will guide you the right method. He will examine your physical fitness and direct you to under go some blood tests such as cholesterol, sugar and other hormones. Do not take the pattern medicines, as they do not suit everybody. Sometimes it generates a new ailment. Be careful!                 I had come across with patients complaining of obesity while treating the associated ailments like polycystic ovarian disease, other menstrual problems, hypothyroidism, hypogonadism and arthritis. The patients lose weight gradually as they get rid of their complaints. I remember a case of arthritis that lost about 10kg and a woman with cardiomyopathy lost about 12kg. Some drastic results were obtained from teenagers in hypogonadism and polycystic ovarian disease. The obesity linked with medical problems do not respond to any type of diet and exercises unless treated safely.                 Homoeopathic medicines are prescribed on constitutional basis and given to correct only your unwanted weight with the allied problems. It is possible because the study of every individual person is of complete and different entity. The suitable medicine will increase the individual's metabolism, without any side effects as the medicines are administered in dilutions!

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