OBESITY AND EK KAAL BHOJAN IN AYURVEDA: AN INTEGRATIVE, CRITI-CAL REVIEW

Obesity is a chronic, relapsing condition of excess adiposity that substantially increases cardiometabolic morbid-ity and mortality worldwide. Classical Ayurvedic medicine recognises obesity under the rubric of Medoro-ga/Sthaulya and prescribes a multifactorial therapeutic framework combining diet (ahara), lifestyle (vihara), specific herbal medicines (aushadhi), and purification procedures (panchakarma). A historical Ayurvedic prac-tice – Ek Kaal bhojan (literal: “one-time feeding”/single -meal practice: akin in modern parlance to extreme time-restricted eating/OMAD)- has been described in classical texts and traditional disciplines (yogic and mo-nastic orders) as a means of metabolic discipline, enhanced digestive strength, and spiritual practice. Contempo-rary interest in intermittent fasting (IF), time-restricted eating (TRE), and one-meal-a-day (OMAD) paradigms prompts a systematic re-examination of Ek Kaal bhojan through modern metabolic science and Ayurvedic theo-ry. This review synthesises the Ayurvedic conceptualisation of Sthaulya/Medoroga: classical and commentarial de-scriptions of Ek Kaal bhojan; physiological and mechanistic evidence from intermittent fasting, TRE, and OMAD human and animal studies; the compatibility and tensions between Ayurvedic guidance and modern evi-dence; and evidence-informed clinical recommendations and future research priorities. We conclude that while Ek Kaal bhojan resonates with physiologic mechanisms (reduced cumulative energy intake, circadian synchroni-sation, improved insulin sensitivity, and autophagy induction), robust randomised clinical data on OMAD are limited and mixed. In Ayurvedic practice, Ek Kaal bhojan may be cautiously considered as one element of a personalised, dosha-informed therapeutic regimen for selected individuals. Still, it should not replace compre-hensive management, including dietary quality, activity, classical therapies, and monitoring for adverse effects.