Ever since BBC aired its report on the Hoodia Gordonii plant in 2003 followed by 60 Minutes airing in 2004, Hoodia Gordonii plant has become a rage in the market. The plant has become associated with reducing or suppressing appetite when consumed. This is seen as a boon by obese people who desperately want to lose weight. Hoodia Gordonii is one among the 13 species of Hoodia plant found in different parts of Africa. Hoodia Gordonii is found in the Sub-Saharan countries of southern Africa as South Africa and Namibia.

Obesity is a condition where excess body fat accumulates in the body. It affects the health of the person. Whether a person is obese or not is determined by body mass index (BMI). It compares weight with height. When a person has a BMI between 25 kg/m² and 30 kg/m² then the person is considered to be over-weight. If the BMI is over 30 kg/m² then the person is said to be obese. Diseases such as heart disease, breathing difficulties, osteoarthritis and certain types of cancer are associated with obesity. Obesity is normally caused due to excessive calorie intake or overeating, and lack of physical activity. However, sometimes genetic causes or psychiatric illness can also be the cause of obesity.

Many food supplements with Hoodia Gorodonii as one of its ingredients are marketed. They are in many forms such as syrups, protein shakes, capsules, infusions, tea, liquid tinctures, coffee, and tablets. With the rise of popularity of Hoodia, a number of products are in the market with Hoodia Gordonii as one of its constituent. So far there are no side effects reported yet with its use. Hoodia is still sourced from Sub-Saharan African countries. Many of the products used liquid hoodia as its ingredient as the Hoodia Shake by Desert Burn Industries.

Obesity can be tackled by physical exercise and dieting. Anti-obesity drugs are also available which can reduce your appetite. There are various weight loss programs. These can be successful if these are made a permanent part of one’s life. This means a change in lifestyle. Sometimes surgery is also resorted to. Though obesity is preventable, it is increasingly becoming a major public health problem. This is due to the modern lifestyle marked by sedentary life and unhealthy dietary practice.

Tags: dieting, diets, exercise, fat loss, health, obesity, overweight, weight control, weight loss

This entry was posted on Saturday, June 13th, 2009 at 9:06 am and is filed under Weight Loss Advice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.