Can Acupuncture Help You Lose Weight?

The short answer is no. Some people claim that acupuncture can help to reduce hunger and appetite, which means you eat less and lose weight. However, studies have so far only managed to prove that acupuncture has a powerful placebo effect.

In one experiment carried out by the BBC a subject was given acupuncture twice, once by an expert and once by a television presenter that used random sharp objects and needles. The subject claimed to feel equally better after each session. In every case where someone has lost weight during acupuncture treatment they have also been following a diet and exercise routine.

Currently the biggest scam surrounded the use of TCM is the Accutrim / Accutrim scandal. Accutrim (or Accuslim, the company changed its name after the first wave of complaints) uses the theory of acupressure to aid weight loss, but the method has been proved to be a scam and advertisement of the product has been banned by the British Government (but it is still advertised in America).

So what is acupuncture and how why do some people think that can acupuncture treatment help you lose weight?

Acupuncture is a branch of Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and has been around for centuries It is the practice of inserting very thin needles to stimulate energy pathways or meridians in the body to treat many illnesses and diseases especially to relieve pain from chronic disorders.

Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners or TCM physicians claim that acupuncture can help you to lose body fat by making you feel full and so will eat less. This curbs excess caloric consumption in the patient treated with acupuncture and is a great help in the patient’s weight loss program.

Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine also believe that acupuncture treatment can also be used to raise your metabolic rate and help you to burn more calories to speed up weight loss. Some Chinese medicine practitioners say that acupuncture stimulates the production of endorphins and this hormone helps to lower body fat, insulin and lipid levels in the bloodstream thus less insulin is converted into body fat.

Acupuncture is not a miracle cure for obesity. TCM physicians often stress that to achieve good weight loss results from your program and maintaining your weight, acupuncture treatment alone is not enough. To lose weight effectively and keep the fats off permanently, acupuncture treatment must be combined with healthy eating habits and regular exercises. This has been seen clearly from the results of people using Acupressure weight loss beads – only those that change their diet and exercise succeed in losing weight!

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