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Thread: meda roga or obese

  1. #1
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    meda roga or obese

    hari o
    ~~~~~~

    namasté

    In āyurveda¹ meda roga¹ or being obese is a kapha imbalance ( or blemish , doṣa¹).

    It is estimated that over 1 billion people on this earth are overweight and 300 million are obese. According to statistics Mexico is ranked as number 1 in this catagory, followed by the USA. It was thought to be the 'rich mans disease' yet Mexico ranks 60th in purchasing power , while the USA ranks 7th.


    What are your thoughts on this matter ? i.e. the responsibility of the individual How does this affect a person spiritually ( my usual concern) and one's practice. What of family, friends and community ?


    Now I am sure we will come to a conversation where one will say its a medical problem. Sure of this there is no doubt; but what of the ~condition~ of over-indulgence ? Is that relevent here ? And what of the pain that occurs when one is made fun of ? Children are very good at this.


    Your thoughts and ideas are welcomed.


    praṇām



    words
    • āyurveda
      • āyurved is āyus + veda = the knowledge of life , vital power , vigour , health .
      • āyus = life , vital power , vigour , health , duration of life , long life
      • ved = knowledge
    • doṣa - detrimental effect ; blemish; rooted ( √ ) in duṣ meaning fault , vice , deficiency , want , inconvenience , disadvantage
    • मेद meda - fat + रोग roga - infermity
    यतसà¥à¤¤à¥à¤µà¤‚ शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṠśivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

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    Re: meda roga or obese

    Vannakkam Yajvan: On a practical basis, I view it as the fault of nutritional ignorance, and sugar being the medium for carrying that ignorance, not much different than how at one time tobacco was considered healthy.

    On a spiritual level, I surmise it could be the karma pendulum effect of people who are hungry desiring for loads of food, instead of just a balanced diet, and those wishes being fulfilled via seed karmas. Now, without proper wisdom, the reverse could happen again, until enough wisdom is accrued for a balance to happen.

    Aum Namasivaya

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    Re: meda roga or obese

    hariḥ oṁ
    ~~~~~~

    namasté

    I think of two things here:
    • Does one eat to live, or live to eat ?
    • You are what you eat, or said another way you become what you eat.
    praṇām
    यतसà¥à¤¤à¥à¤µà¤‚ शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṠśivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

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    Re: meda roga or obese

    I am fat. Chubby, round...overly fluffy...large and chunky.

    About 5'11 my whole life and really never overweight. But pregnancy after pregnancy I added about 20 pounds...would lose it...have heart issues from the loss and then gain 30.

    Two years ago I dropped 75 pounds on a 1300 cal diet and became tremendously ill.

    On a daily average I eat about 1300-1800cals.

    It's usually spinach and breads...and cheese.

    But, being here on the hill, with SVT and MVP creates a perfect storm for me. After this past event I am honestly afraid to move around.

    Good news is this next year I get full 100% health insurance and this includes some medication I desperately need. With medication comes a new chance to exercise!

    So i am chubby, and very okay with this. My family loves me, I do not become upset to say I am fat. But I will say...I am clean, very well kept. Always properly clothed in the correct size...

    What is unbalanced in my life...I don't think I have enough human interaction...yet again...perhaps that isn't an issue with the current state of humanity:P

    This is me, it's not really me...

    Just the car for now....I take care of it the best I can...and it seems to appreciate it.


    Attachment 807
    Last edited by NayaSurya; 16 March 2012 at 01:52 PM.

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    Re: meda roga or obese

    Hari Om,

    Namaste and hello,

    Not commenting on physical health issues or other specific issues that may be anamoly. Also, do not know definition of obsese. I am six two and 240, and fit and eat as think I should in this most cherished path. Perhaps by numbers I would be obese? With all of this, wish to respond as diatribe .

    By how I am picturing obsese, think such a question is to me not so simple. At one level, one could say it is responsibility of this person but what on other hand of impact/influence from others? Not familiar with Mexico, but in states, think so much food intake and intake of not beneficial things, in part goes to psychological, social, economic, and spiritual dissonance.

    In society which is around me, is so much of people not getting what one wishes for in matierialistic sense and this has led to society of lessened accountability all around. The feeling is one is supposed to get what they want or what they perceive as fair. Some people do not get what they want (love from parent as they desire, a mansion as they want, love from spouse as they want, abused in mild or most terrible way imaginable, etc..) so they are seditary and eat much and much bad.

    Here, I see even the religious in this state. It breaks my heart. In short, do think there is imbalance present, and it mainly manifests itself due to disconnect with recognizing what they are at what has to be known at the most visceral level. The physical is the easy thing to see, it is this missing in these portions that breaks my heart. Think many of these people are truly hurting portions, and this consumption, is method for them much like our practices are for us with much differing results on so, so, many different levels.

    On continuum, think the teasing and even the intended helpful comments only excerbate the disconnect and the gluttony. I am not disguted by these portions, I am so saddened.

    Think to, the feeling of love helps. People, even around others sometimes feel lonely in this present age. As they work on understanding the truth, think interaction and love shared as genuine, helps them to on path not to be obese and not to look for falsehoods for answers.

    The impacts are severe, in what is actually eaten as we have discussed very much here on HDF from perspective to include Karma, ahisma, environmental adverse conditions caused as side product, etc.. The impacts on families are as complicated as question raises.

    I apologize for shotgun approach to this but am thankful for thread and look forward to responses to learn from.

    Om Shanti,

    FFTW

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    Re: meda roga or obese

    I am obese. Well and truly. BUT I am not obese because I eat too much or too much food high in sugars, fats and carbs. I am fat because I am on medication that causes, unfortunately, uncontrolled weight gain. I went from 80kg (technically obese but I was a good size and fit the clothing I wanted to wear) to 102kg due to the medication. Our most recent attempt to change my drugs left my suffering from erythema multiforme minor, a disorder that can develop into something called Stevens Johnson Syndrome or Toxic Epidermal Necrolosis. Both of which can kill you.

    So I have two options - be fat and sane or slim and crazy. I know which I choose and I know which Lord Shiva would have me choose.

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    Re: meda roga or obese

    Quote Originally Posted by Divine Kala View Post
    So I have two options - be fat and sane or slim and crazy. I know which I choose and I know which Lord Shiva would have me choose.
    Vannakkkam DK: Wise choice. My dear sister has similar health situations that cause obesity. Of all my siblings, she is the most caring.

    I am 210 now, but most of my adult life was around 180. Becoming less active with age has been the cause. During an emotional breakdown I went to 145. I'm sure that was really 'healthy'. So in the grand scheme, its all okay.

    Aum Namasivaya

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    Re: meda roga or obese

    hariḥ oṁ
    ~~~~~~

    namasté

    So, let me ask... is one's spiritual pursuits inhibited by being substantially over-weight ? Can one sit comfortably for a period of time to dive into one's own awareness ? Is there such an attachment to food that it guides one's daily choices on activity. Oh, I cannot meditate now its almost supper.


    Is one's quality of mind-intellect-emotion colored by food to the extent that clarity-of-mind is shaded ? Is there a dullness that may set in due to one's intake ? Is there any connection to the intake of food and the intake of other sense objects that ( by the wise) is also considered eating ? An over-stimualtion of the senses. When this occurs one may get fatigued, overwhelmed, etc.


    My teacher always said, the world is as you are. The quality of 'you' colors the world. Just like wearing sun glasses, the world takes on that color.








    praṇām
    यतसà¥à¤¤à¥à¤µà¤‚ शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṠśivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

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    Re: meda roga or obese

    Namaste,

    I am not a nutritionist, so my comments are coming from general observations.

    Outside of the health issues and lack of activity that have been mentioned as the causes of weight gain by some, the obesity in Mexico and some of the other places that I have visited was due to the diet borne out of poverty. The dependence on high starch, deep fried items was almost invariably the reason. In the Marshall Islands for example, there is grinding poverty and the 'Bread Fruit' is their main sustenance item. In Hawaii, Taro root is a cherished delicacy. In Mexico, deep fried things made from corn flour are favored by the poor. Total lack of any vegetables and items rich in protein seemed to be the suspects at many of these places. In North America of course, it is the super sized fast food, rich in fat and carbs, which makes otherwise healthy people to become bigger. So, at least on the face of it, outside of the US, obesity is a poverty driven low nutrition diet trait among otherwise healthy populace.

    How does all this affect one's spirituality? Probably does not help at all. They eat to live and can't afford to overeat, but whatever they do eat, is sustenance type and of very little nutritional value. The people I met and saw were very humble and down to earth, but not thinking much about spiritual growth, as their minds never strayed too far from the thought of the next tummy filling exercise.

    Pranam.

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    Re: meda roga or obese

    To this I say..it depend on why someone is overweight. If someone is addicted to food...then yes. They have an extreme urge and this overrides most other things which would come to their mind. But if one is overweight and it is by hereditary, nature, circumstance other than over eating...I would say no.


    If you are consuming food and not allowing it to consume you. Then I think all is well.

    I am not grossly overweight, so I can not speak for those others. But, I will say nothing stops one from losing this vessel during meditation. If anything meditating makes comfort not important. As within just a small time you can't even feel the floor beneath you.

    If food is an addiction, then this can not happen. As Beloved has to be the final thing upon your lips, not food.

    The picture of this Brahmin gentleman is far more robust than my own frame...but I think it speaks of the truth of this.



    Ask yourself this...Does he look uncomfortable?

    This body is not you, it is only the car, chariot whatever you wish to lable. As long as you take it as such...nothing can stand in your way.

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