Overeating leads to many health problems
The quantity of food eaten during any meal is crucial for proper digestion and balanced nutrition. Acharya Charaka has stated that by paying due attention to the time and quantity, a self-controlled man should take such food as is conducive to his internal power of digestion. Most of us stop eating once we feel satisfied. Yet there are those to whom satisfaction comes much after they feel stuffed.
Overeating is the root cause of many health problems. While occasional overeating can result in indigestion, distension, acidity and disturbance in the bowel pattern, it is the compulsive or regular overeating which is the cause for far more serious problems like obesity, diabetes, hypertension and strain on all body systems. Ayurveda says that eating less than one’s capacity is always preferable to eating more, because consistently under-eating can only produce a gradual disturbance concerning the “vata”, but overeating certainly plays havoc with the total body physiology by immediately vitiating all the three humors or the “doshas”.
Many times habitual or compulsive overeating is attributed to problems having psychological origin like anxiety, depression, isolation and mentally traumatic conditions. Overeating provides temporary relief, but it is more often followed by a feeling of guilt, shame and disgust, thus resulting in rebound depression. With the excessive consumption of food and associated low physical activity, the compulsive overeater always carries an increased health risk.
Citing the importance of self-discipline to overcome the appalling habit of overeating, ayurvedic texts say that one should take food only when the previous meal is digested. Though deciding the appropriate quantity of food is not easy, adopting moderation in eating is considered the best policy, and it is better to stop when you still have some capacity to eat. The quality of food, whether it is light, heavy or fried, coupled with seasonal considerations, also decides the ultimate course of digestion.
For compulsive overeaters, it is better to first redress their basic ailment whether it is psychological or otherwise. One should slow down while eating and should chew each morsel many times. It is seen that people consume more food while chatting or when they are in hurry. Eating snacks between the meals is an impulsive act, and one should keep the right stuff up-front. While partying one should always remember that the total amount of snacks and the main meal should not exceed the whole of what you normally eat a single time.
If we take food in proper quantity there is no pressure on the stomach and in the sides of the chest, and no excessive heaviness in the abdomen. Besides getting relief from hunger and thirst, one feels comfortable while in breathing, standing, sitting or walking. Ayurvedic masters have given a very simple rule: divide the stomach capacity into three parts. One part of it should be filled with solid food, the second part with liquids and the third part should be left empty for body humours to function normally.