Journal of Obesity & Weight Loss Therapy
Open Access

Abstract

At the other end of the malnutrition scale, obesity is one of today�s most blatantly visible, yet largely neglected public health problems. Overweight and obesity are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health. Overweight and obesity are major risk factors for a number of chronic diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Once considered a problem only in high income countries, overweight and obesity are now dramatically on the rise in low and middle-income countries, particularly in urban settings. Current methods for weight loss include drugs, diet reduction, and surgical treatment, all of which have been found to have numerous side effects. In Unani system of medicine, obesity has been described under the term saman-e-mufrat, and is thought to be an excessive accumulation of fat due to increase in the phlegmatic humor, this is cold and moist. Therefore, the treatment of obesity is based on excretion of this excess humor, and correction of the abnormal temperament. In addition to certain anti-obesity drugs, diuretics, purgatives and demulcents are also prescribed to aid weight reduction. Also, certain exercises and behavioral modifications are described which help in the process. Sun-bathing, sauna, sweating etc have also been described for preventing and treating obesity. of these, most of the single and compound drugs and other regimes have been subjected to modern clinical studies, with promising results and negligible side-effects. Unani medicine has immense potential to combat the obesity epidemic, the details of which will be described in the full-length paper.

Biography

Email: fazildr@yahoo.com