That’s the message of the #BodyPositivity movement, which encourages people to accept their bodies and its imperfections as a mark of their uniqueness. Whether curvy, skinny, or plump, black, white, or brown, your body is beautiful. The aim is to unify the world and break the destructive glamorization of the super-model body type of size-zero.
However, there is a thin line between body positivity and obesity. The former is about acknowledging the various shapes and forms of a healthy human body. The former does not condone the latter. However, to accept obesity under the garb of body positivity is only going to amplify the troubles of being overweight.
It is important to understand that the key is to maintain a healthy weight. And when you have achieved a healthy weight, your body can be celebrated regardless of the appearance.
How is a healthy weight defined?
In Ayurveda, a healthy weight can be understood as the one that results in Bala (proper strength).
According to Lever ayush Ayurveda expert *Dr. Mahesh, bala is defined by **Sushruta Samhita as “the factor due to which one obtains the nourishment and stability of Mamsa dhatu, the ability to perform various tasks efficiently, clearness and pleasantness of the voice, along with colour and efficient working of all the organs, either external like Jnyaanendriya or Karmendriya or internal like Manas, Aatma, etc..”[1]
Now, if you are on the obese side at the moment with BMI measuring 30% higher than the normal range of 18-25, don’t worry.[2] You do not need to go on a strict diet and intense exercise program to shed your extra pounds. You can do all of that by adopting a more holistic lifestyle that teaches you to respect your body and its limits and reacquaints you with your unique healthy body – curvy, broad, or narrow.
How to measure BMI?
BMI = Mass (kg) / Height2 (m2)
You can do it by adopting the principles of Ayurveda. Ayurveda is a 5000-year-old medical science native to the Indian subcontinent that seeks to heal your body, mind, and soul through holistic means of cure and refinement of lifestyle with a holistic approach. In fact, Ayurveda literally translates to the “science of life” (Ayur – life, Veda – science).
According to it, the practices you need to follow and medications that will work for you depend solely on your unique body type, determined by assessing various parameters, like your medical history, habits, and unique bodily composition. It’s an alternative to conventional medicine’s one-size-fits-all approach just like the body positivity movement is an alternative to the fashion industry’s stringent standards of what beauty looks like.
Ob
Ayurvedic science has described three primary bio-energies, or doshas that our body is made up of – Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. These need to be in a state of balance for one to stay healthy. So, when one falls sick, it is simply a manifestation of a dosha imbalance caused by either the excess of a particular dosha or the dearth of one [3].
“Obesity is a disease caused due to over nutrition (Santarpana), a lifestyle disorder of today.”[4]
“It is an excess of meda dhatu formed due to over nutrition (impairment of metabolic agni). This results in the restriction of movements of various components, which indirectly increases Vata Dosha, especially in the abdomen, thus increasing hunger, giving rise to the vicious circle.”
Therefore, the cure for obesity in Ayurveda lies through balancing the Vata and Pitta Dosha in particular with Agni along with a kapha-controlling diet. This lies through cleaning the fat channels in the body through various herbal powders and regulated diet. [5]
Invariably majority of diseases are caused due to our own activities (lifestyle) and can be healed by a simple but notable correction, suggests Dr. Mahesh, who is also the Professor and HOD of the Department of Dravyaguna, Jeevan Jyothi Ayurveda Medical College and Hospital, Aligarh
Body Positivity and Ayurveda
Body positivity is about accepting yourself and your body, warts and all, because human beings are born in a vast range of shapes, sizes, and forms. It is not about accepting diseases (like obesity) that are caused by our conscious lifestyle choices (like overeating). After all, no one is born obese.
The Ayurvedic way of life is a proponent of body positivity because it teaches that every individual is unique and what’s considered healthy for each one of us should also be unique.
“Life is the most precious gift and taking care of it will lead to overwhelming peace and serenity. We are free to choose the way in which we want to live but not the effects that follow,” is a learning Dr. Mahesh would like to share with all readers.
esity and Ayurveda