Acupoint Embedding for TCM Weight Loss and Body Conditioning: Psychological Barriers Difficult to Overcome

The era of slimming injections (Central News Agency, Taipei, June 21) - Acupoint embedding is a characteristic of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) weight loss. TCM practitioners point out that individuals with uncontrolled blood sugar, autoimmune diseases, cancer, or certain body constitutions are actually not suitable for embedding. There are also those who are skin and bones but are insistent on losing weight, who require referral to psychiatry or psychotherapy.

Zheng Hongqiang, an adjunct assistant professor at the Graduate Institute of Acupuncture at China Medical University, observed in his clinic that about 2 out of 10 individuals seeking weight loss have a "particularly deep obsession," wanting to be thinner even after losing weight, with "different, hollow eyes." Others are driven by appearance anxiety to sculpt their bodies and shed fat, while some are criticized by friends, family, and colleagues for being too fat and fear their work will be affected, leading them to seek TCM conditioning first.

A woman in her 20s once entered the consultation room stating she wanted to lose weight. Her Body Mass Index (BMI) was only 18, and she was so thin that her menstrual cycle was irregular, yet she still felt she wasn't thin enough. At the time, practicing physician Dong Liqiao worried that refusing this patient would only push her towards dangerous weight loss methods, so she agreed to see her first.

"Weight loss is often not just a physical problem," Dong Liqiao stated frankly. Clinically, it is also common for patients to enter the consultation room due to an inability to control stress eating. These individuals, in addition to treatment, require support, guidance, and companionship. Sometimes, they even encounter patients with eating disorders who need professional intervention such as referral to psychiatry or counseling.

Dong Liqiao frankly stated that TCM weight loss is not without risks. Taking acupoint embedding as an example, it is not suitable for patients with poorly controlled diabetes, autoimmune diseases, or cancer. Even without these conditions, individuals with insufficient sleep or a hot constitution may develop nodules due to incomplete absorption.

Regarding products advertised as "all-natural" slimming teas or standardized capsules, Dong Liqiao said that these types of products are mostly designed for the constitutions of the majority of people. They may be effective initially, but if individual comorbidities and body constitutions are not assessed, long-term use may not be suitable. If this leads to recurrent diarrhea, according to TCM theory, it will damage the spleen and stomach and affect metabolism.

"Whether it's medication or embedding, it's temporary," Dong Liqiao reminded. Only by finding solutions in daily life and establishing good lifestyle habits can one maintain their physique in the long run.

Take Miaomiao (pseudonym) for example. She gained 10 kilograms after childbirth. By the end of her three-month TCM treatment, she was thinner than before her pregnancy. Later, whenever she felt she had gained a little weight, she would intermittently purchase medication. She believes the period with the best effect was when she had regular follow-ups and her data was supervised by a doctor, "because I was worried about the numbers not looking good, I was more vigilant about my diet." (Editor: Chen Qingfang) 1150621

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