Acupuncture combined with a healthy diet can help you lose weight without any burden

A 45-year-old Mr. Zhang, who has to socialize, drink, and eat a lot of meat and fish at work, weighs 100 kilograms, has a BMI of 30, a waist circumference of 95, and high cholesterol and blood pressure. He originally wanted to lose weight by eating health food, but to no avail. His son even joked that he was pregnant for several months. After six months of acupuncture treatment at the outpatient department of Traditional Chinese Medicine at Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital, his weight has dropped to 92 kg, and his cholesterol and blood pressure have returned to normal. He is currently continuing treatment.

Acupuncture weight loss is based on individual physical conditioning. Chinese medicine practitioners say that men with a waist circumference greater than 90 cm and other medium-to-wide body types are the main treatment targets.

Ruan Yingxu, a Chinese medicine doctor at Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital, pointed out that from the perspective of Chinese medicine, obesity is caused by a preference for rich and greasy food, which leads to spleen and stomach dysfunction and abnormal body metabolism. For example, patients with spleen deficiency and phlegm and dampness often suffer from obesity and fatigue. These symptoms can be alleviated by strengthening the spleen and eliminating dampness.

There are many weight loss products on the market now, most of which focus on quick effects. Many of them contain senna leaves, which can not only cause diarrhea and electrolyte imbalance, but can also cause cramps in severe cases. It is recommended that weight loss should be carried out in a gradual manner and treatment should be based on the physical condition diagnosed by the doctor, so that you can lose weight healthily and naturally.

In addition, acupuncture weight loss is based on personal physical conditioning. The acupuncture effect is generally believed to be achieved through the nervous system, neurotransmitters in the blood, endocrine and other conductive media. It is recommended that people with a BMI greater than 27, or a waist circumference greater than 80 for women and greater than 90 for men, as the main treatment targets.

In addition to regulating the spleen and stomach and promoting meridian circulation, local treatment can also achieve local weight loss effects, including arms (acupoints are Quchi and Zhigou), thighs (acupoints are Xuehai, Liangqiu, Zusanli, Sanyinjiao), and waist circumference (acupoints are Tianshu and Daheng).

For people with overweight constitution, Chinese medicine practitioners recommend eating more hawthorn, tangerine peel, lotus leaves, etc. (Photo courtesy of Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital)

[Obesity 2 types and dietary recommendations]:

1. "Pseudo-obesity": Common symptoms include swollen feet, decreased urine output, feeling heavy and tired. This is usually caused by a physique that makes it easy to gain weight by drinking water.

Recommendation: Take spleen and kidney-strengthening medicines as the main focus, or eat more spleen and diuretic foods, such as coix seed, water chestnut, mung bean, and yam. Huangjing, which has the effects of mild nourishment, replenishing qi, soothing the five internal organs and benefiting the spleen and stomach, is recorded in ancient books as "making the body lighter and prolonging life if taken for a long time". However, people with poor gastrointestinal function and those with puffiness should not take it.

2. "Extreme obesity": symptoms include dry mouth, constipation, bad breath, etc.

Recommendation: Use laxative or fat-eliminating medicines, or eat more hawthorn, tangerine peel, lotus leaves, roselle, etc.