Body Mass Index is calculated by dividing a person's body weight in kilograms by his/her height is meters squared. Being obese and overweight are not the same. A BMI of 30 or more is considered obese and a BMI of 25-29.9 is considered overweight. The tendency towards obesity is encouraged by two bad habits: lack of physical activity and high-calorie food. In Ayurveda, the 'swastha-vritta' guidelines are useful in preventing obesity:

. Selection of food items should be done intelligently. Any obsession or craving for food should be controlled.

. Include moong and masoor in your diet.

. Avoid very sweet, salty or oily food, especially at night.

. Avoid curd and have buttermilk instead.

. Try and drink warm water always.

. Have Gaduchi, Triphala or Musta mixed with honey. Takrarishta is also advisable. Triphala churna is best taken at bedtime.

Random Fact: Being 40 and overweight raises Alzheimer's risk- High levels of body fat increases chance of developing disease, study finds being overweight during one's early 40s increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease research shows.

" We originally thought that once we took into account diabetes and cardiovascular disease, that there would be no effect of overweight on Alzheimer's disease, but that turned out not to be the case, " Dr Rachel A. Whitemer said at a press briefing held at the American Academy of Neurology's annual meeting here in San Diego

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. Bruhat Panchamoola powder mixed with honey is also beneficial.

. Amla powder is also useful in reducing obesity. Also, keep in mind that there's no alternative to regular yoga or exercises like swimming, jogging or cycling for controlling obesity.

. Avoid sleeping during day time at all cost.

. Join a group for motivation to lose weight.

. Initial weight loss should be the therapeutic goal. A bigger challenge is to find an effective way to sustain this weight loss.

. It is very important for obese people to get their lipid and sugar levels routinely checked, along with blood pressure and other tests related to functioning of the heart.

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