In the US weight loss is a 75 billion-dollar industry. Obviously, it is an issue for a large number of people, especially baby boomers who are reaching their middle age. For many people, this is a time when their metabolism slows down and their weight picks up. Is weight gain "just a part of aging" or are there other health and cultural factors at play?
Certainly, there are, because not all aging people gain weight.
Traditional Chinese Medicine teaches that there are many factors to the digestion and metabolism of food. Weight gain could be due to Spleen-Yang deficiency and/or Spleen-Qi deficiency. Dampness is both a cause and a result of weight gain. It is characterized by a hard-to-move, heavy feeling or a foggy-headed feeling. Generally, Spleen-Qi deficiency manifests as fatigue and Spleen Yang deficiency as poor digestion.
There is another direction though, in weight gain that stems from stress or anxiety. In this situation, the improper flow of Qi creates heat in the stomach, which may be interpreted by the brain as hunger. The result is overeating at meals or constant "grazing." The stressful lifestyle also plays havoc with blood sugar levels. People may have several small eating binges to satisfy the low levels but the binge creates high levels. The excess sugar is then converted into fat.
The main weight loss point protocol used in my office is based on a point selection that focuses on tonifying spleen/stomach function to invigorate metabolism and spleen/kidney function to help eliminate the dampness. A different point protocol must be used for weight gain caused by stomach heat. It has to address the anxiety as the root of the problem and reduce the stomach heat.
It is well known that a healthy lifestyle which includes exercise with a balanced diet that is low in sweets, is the best way to lose weight. The acupuncture treatments will result in faster and more efficient caloric metabolism to facilitate the weight loss.
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