Treating Obesity

Times have definitely changed. In the past, plus sized individuals were considered to be the epitome of beauty, for it was a direct reflection of wealth. However, with the word “famine” being left only in the distant memories of octogenarians and as mere letters in history textbooks, the modern human is prone to overeating and becoming less and less active as the quality of life generally increases. The development of civilization and improvement in overall living gave birth to an age of obesity. 

Younger generations now look to lose weight for the sake of fitting into modern standards of beauty, whereas older generations manage their weight to maintain health. 

It is now common sense that obesity could surely be fatal (hence the term, ‘morbidly obese’), and could definitely lead to many other aging illnesses. 

So how does one calculate the standard for obesity, and what is the best way of managing weight? Many Western practices of judging one’s body (such as a BMI scale or finding percent body fat) are not always strictly accurate, nor realistic and healthy. It may definitely be more accurate and practical for one to decide on their own whether their body is at a healthy state based on individual bodily signs. For instance, the tendency to get shortness of breath drowsiness after little amounts of activity may be signs to start making an effort in perhaps losing a few pounds to reach a healthy weight for one’s body. 

These are the following reasons one may be gaining fat, according to Eastern medical philosophies:

1. The lack of energy in the stomach area: Qi (energy in Eastern philosophy) is the driving force of action in one’s body. When there is a lacking of such qi, it is difficult for an individual to store less fat through the metabolic process and flush out water weight through appropriate distribution of materials throughout the body. Due to the lack of energetic balance, bloating and slow digestion are oftentimes quite common side effects of this type of weight gain.
2. The abundance of heat in the stomach: When one is often stressed or anxious (manifesting in the stomach as a form of heat or fury) it is a common coping method to binge-eat. This is because such stress causes heat to travel to the face (such as a reddening face upon embarrassment), breast, and stomach, causing the stomach to crave more and more food due to being tired out.
3. Minor failure in the digestive system: When the body fails to circulate qi throughout its many functions, the energy stored in food is stored as both excrement and as fat. In simpler terms, the body is not getting rid of as much material as it consumed. This causes qi to remain in the digestive track, slowing down the process of excretion and causing symtoms such as an increase of gas, gurgling in the intestines and a sudden increase in weight. This type of weight gain is prominent in those who prefer high-calorie, fattening foods but who lack exercise. 

It is common in acupuncture to treat obese individuals through a series of various methods, such as releasing heat and relieving constipation and moisture in the body using herbal medicine. Using acupuncture needles on the ears can also control and limit appetite, as well as prompt the balance of qi in the body in order to promote balanced functions. Acupuncture is one of the most popular ways to keep body weight in check, especially with people who do not want to consider harmful and unnatural methods of weight loss such as liposuction, due to the way it can aide in managing other bodily illnesses and help prompt weight loss through a prolonged period of time.