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Nowadays people are paying full attention to eating healthy, yet the weight of many people is increasing instead of decreasing. This increases confusion as to where the mistake is happening. The truth is that weight gain is not only related to food but also to weak metabolism, poor digestion, hormonal changes, lack of sleep and wrong lifestyle.

In today’s time, youth are rapidly moving towards fitness and healthy lifestyle. There is talk of healthy eating everywhere, including social media, gym and home kitchen. Still, the surprising thing is that many people are not able to lose weight even after taking the right diet, rather their weight is gradually increasing. In such a situation, it is natural for people to question where the mistake is happening. The truth is that the reason for weight gain or loss is not just the food on your plate, but the entire internal system of your body plays a role in it. Ayurveda calls it Agni i.e. digestive power, while science calls it metabolism. If digestion and metabolism do not work properly, even the most healthy and nutritious food can get converted into fat in the body.
A big misconception is that healthy things can be eaten without observing the quantity. According to Ayurveda, some food items are heavy and the body has to work harder to digest them. Dry fruits, ghee, honey, peanut butter or avocado are rich in nutrition, but they are also very high in calories. Science also believes that if more calories are consumed than required, the body stores the extra energy in the form of fat, which leads to weight gain.
Nowadays, many so-called healthy products available in the market can also cause weight gain. In Ayurveda, excessive sweet taste is considered to increase phlegm. According to science, excess sugar increases insulin levels, due to which the body starts storing fat. Low-fat curd, multigrain biscuits and energy bars look healthy from outside, but the hidden sugar present in them can disturb the balance of the body.
Many times, the reason for weight gain is not food habits but hormonal disturbances. Ayurveda considers it to be an imbalance of doshas, especially an aggravation of Kapha dosha. Metabolism slows down due to thyroid, PCOS or prolonged stress. In such a situation, a person feels weight increasing despite eating less, because the body starts storing calories instead of burning them.
Sleep and mental stress also directly affect weight. It is said in Ayurveda that not getting enough sleep weakens digestion. Science shows that less sleep increases the hunger hormone ghrelin and decreases leptin, which signals fullness. The result is that the person starts eating more than necessary. Metabolism also slows down due to increasing age or decreasing physical activity. According to science, when muscles reduce, calorie burning also reduces. Therefore, just paying attention to diet is not enough, it is equally important to keep the body active to keep the weight balanced.
About the Author
Vividha Singh is a journalist at News18 Hindi (NEWS18). He has obtained Bachelor and Masters degree in Journalism from Delhi University. She has been working in the field of journalism for 3 years. Currently News18…read more