What is Acupuncture for Weight Loss?
Modern medicine believes that simple obesity is often accompanied by endocrine disorders, such as abnormal hormones, especially insulin, sex hormones, and adrenal cortex hormones. Acupuncture can adjust the endocrine function of the body through traditional Chinese acupuncture methods, ultimately achieving weight loss. On the other hand, traditional Chinese medicine believes that obesity is mainly related to the functions of the liver, spleen, and kidneys. Acupuncture can regulate these organs to restore their normal functions and achieve weight loss. This method of weight loss through acupuncture is called acupuncture for weight loss.
How does Acupuncture for Weight Loss work?
Acupuncture for weight loss works by stimulating certain acupuncture points in the body, which can weaken gastric peristalsis, inhibit gastric acid secretion, prolong gastric emptying time, slow down gastric emptying, and create a feeling of fullness, reducing the desire to eat. Acupuncture therapy can also accelerate the metabolism of energy, regulate the metabolism of fats, increase energy consumption, promote the conversion of body fat, and ultimately achieve sustained weight loss. The incidence of endocrine disorders in obese patients is extremely high. Why do women gain weight after giving birth? It is not due to excessive nutrition, but because giving birth disrupts their endocrine balance, leading to weight gain. Similarly, menopausal women may also gain weight due to endocrine disorders. Acupuncture can effectively regulate endocrine disorders and achieve weight loss.
Who is Suitable for Acupuncture for Weight Loss?
Obesity can generally be classified into pathological obesity and physiological obesity. Patients with pathological obesity can improve their condition through acupuncture treatment, combined with dietary control and moderate exercise, in order to achieve weight loss. However, acupuncture for weight loss is generally ineffective for individuals with physiological obesity. The most suitable candidates for acupuncture for weight loss are adults who are obese after reaching adulthood. These individuals are more likely to adjust various metabolic functions of the body, promote fat decomposition, and achieve weight loss and reduction of cholesterol. The most suitable age for acupuncture for weight loss is between 20 and 40 years old.
Acupuncture for Abdominal Obesity
Acupuncture is most effective for abdominal obesity. This is because there is more accumulation of fat in the abdomen, and the effect of acupuncture through meridian regulation and acupoint stimulation is more prominent. For obese individuals with excessive water and dampness in their bodies, acupuncture can help promote diuresis and sweating, thus eliminating water dampness.
Some obese individuals have excessive gastric acid secretion, leading to strong hunger and constant cravings. These individuals are often referred to as having "excessive stomach fire." Acupuncture can help reduce this excessive stomach fire, suppress their excessive appetite, reduce food intake, and inhibit their digestive and absorption capacity. Some obese individuals gain weight due to habitual constipation. Acupuncture can help promote bowel movements and reduce energy storage in the body. Menopausal women, who have low physical activity and endocrine imbalances, are prone to obesity. If they do not control their diet, fat accumulation and obesity can occur. At the same time, some obese individuals have excessive digestive and absorption functions in their gastrointestinal tract. Acupuncture treatment can promote metabolism and achieve weight loss, as reduced metabolism is a potential factor contributing to obesity.
Who is not suitable for Acupuncture for Weight Loss?
Acupuncture for weight loss is not suitable for those who are currently ill. It is also not suitable for individuals with bleeding disorders or anemia, those who have donated blood within a month, those with skin diseases, and those with physiological obesity.
Tips for Acupuncture for Weight Loss
1. When undergoing acupuncture for weight loss, it is important to control your diet. Binge eating or eating randomly during the acupuncture process will not achieve the desired weight loss. However, controlling your diet does not mean extreme fasting.
2. Acupuncture for weight loss is a gradual process. It is unrealistic to expect to become slim after a few acupuncture sessions. Alongside acupuncture, developing good lifestyle and dietary habits is essential to prevent rebounding. Otherwise, once the acupuncture treatment is stopped, weight may quickly bounce back.
3. During the acupuncture treatment for weight loss, there may be loss of appetite, increased thirst, increased frequency of urination and bowel movements, fatigue, and other reactions. These are normal phenomena. Through acupuncture treatment, the body's internal functions are continuously adjusted, accelerating metabolism and energy consumption, resulting in clinical symptoms. Once the body regains balance, these symptoms will disappear. If a patient experiences dizziness, pain, nausea, or other symptoms during acupuncture, it is considered an adverse reaction and the treatment should be immediately stopped to prevent any danger.
4. Increasing fat consumption is a necessary condition for weight loss treatment. However, vigorous exercise is not recommended. Endurance and long-term exercise are encouraged. For patients with abdominal obesity, performing abdominal breathing and abdominal exercises for about 20 minutes before bedtime can be beneficial for reducing abdominal fat and promoting bowel movements.
5. Traditional Chinese acupuncture is a profound scientific discipline. Patients should seek treatment from a reputable weight loss clinic that offers comprehensive and non-side-effect treatment plans in order to achieve their weight loss goals.
Acupuncture for weight loss is actually helping individuals improve their unhealthy eating habits and treating certain underlying conditions that lead to obesity. For example, for postpartum women and menopausal individuals, acupuncture for weight loss mainly helps treat endocrine disorders. For young women, it mainly helps control their appetite. Weight loss treatment must combine therapy, exercise, and diet in order to be effective. Relying solely on acupuncture and hoping for effortless weight loss after a few sessions is just a dream.
