When in terms of medicine, health or physical fitness, we talk about Weight loss, we mean reduction of the total body mass, due to a mean loss of fluid or body fat etc to get rid of body fatness, overweight or obese state responsible for many diseases. Overweight or Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems. It increases the likelihood of various diseases, particularly heart disease, type 2 diabetes, breathing difficulties during sleep, certain types of cancer, and osteoarthritis. Obesity is most commonly caused by a combination of excessive dietary calories, lack of physical activity, and genetic susceptibility, although a few cases are caused primarily by genes, endocrine disorders, medications or psychiatric illness.
Health conscious people never like overweight or obesity. To get rid of overweight, they attempt a number of efforts like Dieting and physical exercise. Moreover, it is important to improve diet quality by reducing the consumption of energy-dense foods such as those high in fat and sugars, and by increasing the intake of dietary fiber. To supplement this, or in case of failure, anti-obesity drugs may be taken to reduce appetite or inhibit fat absorption. In severe cases, surgery is performed or an intragastric balloon is placed to reduce stomach volume and/or bowel length, leading to earlier satiation and reduced ability to absorb nutrients from food
For them who can afford, perhaps surgery is the best option but for those who can’t, they can try to see if acupuncture can help take out the excess weight.
Acupuncture is a form of holistic healthcare that uses needles to help treat a patient. Unlike the cartoon where the balloon will pop and all the air will go out, the needles that are inserted into the vital points will stimulate the body to release endorphins thus helping the person control their appetite.
But before needles are inserted, the specialist will first ask the patient some questions and perform an examination. This is needed to understand the main cause for the person to be overweight. Part of examination is to help the acupuncturist figure out where the needles will be inserted. Your pulse will give the person an idea on your general state of energy and the general health of your stomach.
You will also have to open your mouth and show your tongue to check for cracks, peelings or puffiness on the stomach area as this provides clues to why you are overweight. Once he or she knows the reason, this is the time that the needles are inserted into different parts of the body. One way is called the multi-targeted approach which is designed to lower the body’s weight by increasing the output of the pituitary gland.
The areas where the needles will be inserted will be in the ear and in two of three body points. These areas could also include the mouth, the stomach, the lung, the endocrine, the spleen, kidney or thyroid. During the initial treatment, the “Four Gate” points would be used to circulate energy throughout the entire body. It is also possible that electro simulation will also be done to increase endorphin release and stimulate metabolism.
These needles will be kept in place for 30 to 45 minutes depending on how much support is needed. These are then removed and replaced with ear tacs with adhesives to make sure they are in the same spot as the needles. These ear tacs work by applying mild pressure whenever he or she feels hungry. It causes a mild endorphin release and helps the patient relax making it possible to use their willpower and resist the temptation to eat.
The patient will also have to reduce cravings on certain food by cutting down the intake. Some studies suggest that this can also lower insulin levels or lipid levels in the blood.
The best part about acupuncture is that there are no harmful side effects and no chance for an addiction to occur. The patient will have to come back for regular treatment and have to pay attention to one’s diet and exercise regularly as needles can only do so much to control one’s weight.
The number of treatments for someone who is overweight varies depending on how many pounds they want to lose, the speed at which they want to lose it and their commitment to sticking to the plan.
The average patient on the other hand who wants to lose 5 to 10 pounds will have to come for treatment every three days or twice a week then once this is attained, once every two weeks. It is up to the person until when the treatment will be done which shows that acupuncture can help you lose weight.
Be Happy – You Can have Acupuncture for Weight Loss.