Acupuncture, practiced in Asia for thousands of years, is gaining popularity in America to treat problems such as pain and obesity. The effectiveness of acupuncture as a treatment for obesity has been tested in clinical trials, but acupuncture's ability to suppress appetite has not yet been proven to western medical standards.
Acupuncture and Energy Release
The basic theory behind acupuncture is that you are healthiest when your body's energy flows freely. Blocked energy causes pain, fatigue, illness and other problems. Thin needles are used to release the energy and relieve symptoms. One cause of obesity is excessive appetite. According to practitioners of Chinese medicine, appetite is controlled by your adrenal glands. Needles inserted into your earlobes at points that correspond to your adrenals reduce the release of hunger-causing hormones and elevate the flow of endorphins. The theory behind acupuncture as a weight loss remedy is that you won't feel the need or desire to binge when your adrenals stop sending hunger signals to your brain. And, when your body is filled with feel-good endorphins, you won't use food to elevate your mood.
Acupuncture and Weight Loss
In Singapore, some people pay $1,800 for a weight loss program that includes 30 acupuncture treatments, as of 2010. Participants claim weight losses of more than 50 lbs., but the program also requires restrictions in diet, including a ban on most carbohydrates. Dramatic weight loss is unlikely from acupuncture alone, according to Khoo Eng Lim, director of the School of Humanities and Alternative Medicine. Lim said acupuncture can assist with weight loss, but only by revving metabolism, curbing hunger and improving metabolism.
Treatment
If you decide to try acupuncture as part of a weight-loss program, here's what to expect, according to Ghim Lam, who practices Chinese medicine in the Los Angeles area. During treatment, you lie on a padded table, similar to one you'd find in a doctor's examination room. A pillow for your head, a cushion to place between your knees and a blanket will be provided. Needles will be inserted into your earlobes to control your appetite. Needles may also be inserted into your abdomen to relieve bloating and improve your digestion system. Needles may also be inserted into your face and head to reduce stress. You then lie still for 35 to 45 minutes. Lam says most of his patients find the process relaxing; some fall asleep. At the end of the session, the needles are removed. Lam advises weight loss patients to commit to two sessions a week for five weeks, gradually tapering off to about once a month after goals are reached.
Additional Effort Required
An herb disc may be attached to your earlobe to prolong the effect of the acupuncture between sessions. Four years ago, entertainer Janet Jackson was spotted wearing one during a period of dramatic weight loss, which sparked interest in acupuncture as part of a diet program. But Jackson did not rely on acupuncture alone. She also reduced her food intake and upped her exercise regimen. Acupuncture may help you lose 10 lbs. without effort, Dr. Lam says, but he advises those who wish to lose more to also make changes in their diet and sleep patterns and to engage in light exercise. He urges patients to eat breakfast, avoid pasta, bread and refined sugars and to retire for the evening no later than midnight.
Acupuncture and Obesity
Whether acupuncture can fill your body with feel-good endorphins and reduce food carvings remains to be proven. A 2009 clinical trial did, however, point to auricular--ear --acupuncture as an aid in treating obese women. C.H. Hsu and colleagues at Chang-Gung University, based in northern Taiwan, found that inserting needles in specific points on women's ears reduced their levels of two hormone peptides associated with obesity. The scientists' findings, published in the "Journal of Women's Health," said their study provides evidence that acupuncture may treat a cause of obesity, but it did not link acupuncture directly to weight loss.
References
- "Drug Week"; Obesity: Study Findings from Chang-Gung University Broaden Understanding of Obesity; July 17, 2009
- "The Mirror"; The Mirror; Your Life: How I'll Beat the Bloat; Janet Jackson on her Amazing Weight Loss; Victoria Kennedy; April 10, 2006
- "The Straits Times"; Can You Poke Your Flab Away?
- CallDrLam: Weight Management
- CompassionateAcupuncture: Decreased Adrenal Function & Hypoglycemia
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