Acupuncture for Weight Loss

The excessive accumulation of fats in the body is the definition of obesity or overweight. According to the World Health Organization, a body mass index (BMI) over 25 is considered overweight and over 30 is obese. In 2017, obesity has become an epidemic where over 4 million people are dying each year due to being overweight.





Obesity is not simply an aesthetic problem but a medical problem in which other health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, infertility and certain cancers have a higher risk of occurrence in people who are overweight.





Reasons for Obesity or Overweight according to Western Medicine and Science





Reduced Gastrointestinal Muscle Tone





As a result of overeating over prolonged periods of time, the gastric cavity may be expanded and also the muscular sphincter which food passes from the gastric to the small intestine may lose its tone. This can result in eating more amounts of food than a person needs in order to feel full or higher frequency of feeling hungry, leading to eating much more within a day.





Decreased Bodily Metabolism





Aging, inactivity and sedentary lifestyle, thyroid problems can cause bodily metabolism to decrease. When this happens, the ability of the body to burn off the calories of the food eaten is reduced, meaning that the excessive food that cannot be digested and transformed to energy will be converted to fats and stored within the body, causing obesity or overweight problems.

Read more about Misconceptions of Self Healing here.





Increased Cravings



Stress, anxiety, hormonal imbalance are some of the main reasons for increased cravings in a person which can cause one to overeat and gain weight in time to come.



Reduced Taste and Smell Sensitivity



Chemicals and synthetic flavorings in food today have caused the taste buds of modern human to change in their sensitivity to natural flavors. Therefore the satisfaction gotten from food is much reduced, resulting in people having to eat more to feel more satisfied and fulfilled from a meal. This increased in food intake can hence result in obesity and overweight.



Reasons for Obesity or Overweight according to Traditional Chinese Medicine



Weight gain, according to traditional Chinese medicine, is caused by internal organ imbalance. That imbalance, according to ancient teachings, can be caused by a malfunctioning in the organs Liver, Spleen and Stomach, Kidney.



The most obvious organ that is directly related to obesity and overweight is Spleen and Stomach. When these two organs are out of balance, they can result in weight gain from digestion-induced dampness.


People with obesity or overweight problems often find themselves having to retain a lot of dampness in their body, which according to Traditional Chinese Medicine, dampness is the by-product of the undigested food.



Liver in Traditional Chinese Medicine is related to circulation and metabolism. When the Liver is not working in optimal conditions due to stress, alcohol, late nights and poor sleep, it can impede circulation and suppress metabolism, causing obesity and overweight.



Kidney in Traditional Chinese Medicine is related to water metabolism and life reserves. When the Kidneys are not functioning well, water metabolism will be affected and many cellular activities in the body will be affected including fat burning, digestion, energy transformation from food. Read more about a Chinese herb Corn Silk can help with clearing edema or water retention here.



How Acupuncture helps Weight Loss



Acupuncture works on balancing the various body systems and physiology in Science and Western Medicine that have been out of normal functionings, such as the gastrointestinal functions, bodily metabolism, nervous systems, taste and smell sensory systems. Various papers have already published on this.

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Acupuncture helps to clear the dampness in the body that is excessively accumulated as a result of the poor functioning of Spleen and Stomach. Acupuncture can detox and invigorate the Liver and Kidney which can help obesity resulting from the differential diagnosis of weak or blocked Liver and Kidney. Read about Acupoint Medicine Dan Zhong here on self care and self love.



How Herbal Medicines and Other TCM Treatment Modalities help Weight Loss  



Other treatment methods such as Herbs like Chinese Yam, Chinese Barley (as differentiated from Pearl Barley), Millet, Sweet Potato when used in combinations with Acupuncture can amplify the effect of holistic weight loss treatments.

TCM(Traditional Chin Med), TCM Wellness, TCM and Science, Basics of TCM, TCM AestheticsXiang Jun LimDr (TCM) Xiang Juntcm, acupuncture, traditional chinese medicine, western medicine, weight loss, obesity, overweight