[Resource: See more at Acupuncture for Weight Loss and Treatment of Obesity-Related Diseases]
Different intervention methods in complementary medicine, such as acupuncture, exercises, and Chinese herbal medicine, have been found to be helpful for achieving natural and healthy weight loss. Some studies have found that the combination of these methods also have good effects for weight loss, for the treatment of obesity, and for the maintenance of the weight reduction effects.
A research group in Taiwan investigated the effects of three therapeutic methods in the treatment of simple obesity (Huang et al., 1996). These three methods are called “triple therapy,†including weekly auricular acupuncture, diet restriction, and aerobic exercise counseling for eight weeks.
Totally forty-five cases of simple obesity participated in the study. The researchers measured the reduction in body weight and body fat upon finishing the treatment course. They also observed the changes of body weight in follow-up after one month and one year of the program.
They found a significant reduction in both body weight and body fat after finishing the treatment course. The overall rate of the effectiveness was 86.7%. In addition, the results showed that more frequent aerobic exercise contributed to body weight decrease and maintenance.
Their study indicated that the effectiveness of weight reduction was significantly associated with the compliance of participants with each intervention method. They did not observe significant side effects. The results of their study suggest that the triple therapy caused a satisfactory body weight decrease and a good maintenance of the weight reduction.
Another group in Egypt measured the efficacy of auricular or ear electroacupuncture on the control of appetite and weight reduction in three separate studies (Shafshak, 1995). In the first study, they used the Stomach, Hunger, or placebo ear points in three different groups. They discovered that the stimulation at the Stomach or Hunger points had more effects in appetite suppression than stimulating the placebo points.
In the second study, they performed stimulation at three pairs of ear points, including Stomach, Hunger, and Shen Men among 61 obese subjects for eight weeks. In addition, 43 subjects also participated in an exercise program. They found that 79% of the subjects having a low calorie diet had good results in weight reduction. Furthermore, active exercises significantly enhanced the weight loss effects.
In the third study, 19 obese patients with knee osteoarthritis were treated with three programs in electroacupuncture, diet, and exercise. Their results showed that 89% of the patients lost 5-10 kilo grams in eight weeks.
These studies suggest that the combination of methods in complementary medicines, including acupuncture or ear acupuncture, exercises, and diet have good or sometimes even better results for weight loss. In addition, these methods may help achieve good maintenance effects of weight control. Further studies on the comparison of these methods and the mechanisms of the weight loss effects would be very helpful for identifying optimal methods for effective weight loss.
References:
Huang, M. H., R. C. Yang, et al. (1996). “Preliminary results of triple therapy for obesity.” Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 20(9): 830-6.
Shafshak, T. S. (1995). “Electroacupuncture and exercise in body weight reduction and their application in rehabilitating patients with knee osteoarthritis.” Am J Chin Med 23(1): 15-25.
