Lose Weight
Obesity is a global epidemic and is considered the second largest metabolic disorder after cardiovascular disease. In Israel, the data are particularly worrying when the rate of obesity in adults is 27% of the total population, while 53% of the population is "just" overweight. Because it is a recurrent chronic disease, these people face a significantly increased risk of type 2 diabetes (11-fold), bad cholesterol and high blood lipids, cardiovascular disease, polycystic ovary syndrome and several types of cancers. In addition, these people suffer from a real impairment in the quality of life.
I invite you to a comprehensive treatment accompanied by personal guidance that will help you achieve a controlled and healthy weight loss that will allow you to continue with an active life, as much as possible.
How do I know if I am obese?
The diagnosis of obesity is based mainly on body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage (BF), waist and hip circumference with BMI being the most common, calculated by dividing the person's weight by height, squared.
• A normal BMI is set between 18.5-24.9
• Overweight is in the range of 25-29.9
• Severe obesity is above the value of 30
The higher the BMI, the lower the chances are of reaching the age of 70. If people with a normal weight have about 80% chance of reaching 70, when the BMI index ranges from 35-40, the chances drop to 60% and life expectancy decreases by 2-4 Years.
Why do we gain weight?
There are various reasons for obesity including:
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Deficit in energy burning or disproportionate food consumption
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Lack of exercise
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Emotional factors, including overeating during stress or depression
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Genetic factors - increased chance of becoming obese when parents are obese
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Environmental and social factors - eating less healthy food due to environmental poverty
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Factors that affect metabolic regulation such as:
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Hormonal imbalance (hypothyroidism, menopause, certain medications and more)
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Background diseases (diabetes, part of the metabolic syndrome along with high blood pressure and cholesterol and lipids in the blood)
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Systemic inflammation
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The hormones of hunger and satiety - The hormone ghrelin (hunger) is secreted in the stomach and signals to the brain that it is time to eat, while the hormone leptin (satiety) produces after a meal a chain of reactions that cause a feeling of satiety. In overweight people, the body develops "resistance" (much like with insulin in diabetes) and the feeling of satiety comes after a while, leading to overeating.
How is obesity treated?
Obesity is often a chronic problem and therefore its treatment is challenging as it involves addressing several aspects of obesity at the same time. These usually include lifestyle changes, adopting a proper diet, regular exercise, personal guidance and these depend mainly on the motivation of the patient. Only in some cases will the administration of medication or surgical intervention be considered.
Every person who wants to lose weight needs a custom-made program that perfects the setting of realistic goals, including the extent of weight reduction, the rate of weight loss, eating patterns and lifestyle. There are plenty of “instant diets”, which usually lead to rapid weight loss, but may damage internal organs and in many cases end in a rebound effect that can be even more severe. Most of the recommendations today are for moderate weight loss of about 0.5-1 kg per week for at least 6 months.
How Can Chinese Medicine Help Lose Weight?
Obesity according to Chinese medicine parallels a state of accumulation (dampness) that leads to stagnation in the flow of qi and blood. The source of the pathology is associated with weakness of the spleen, stomach, kidneys and imbalance in the liver system. Chinese medicine treatment is comprehensive and includes acupuncture, herbs, personalized dietary recommendations and lifestyle changes.
Studies have shown that acupuncture causes a decrease in the amount of leptin, by increasing the body's sensitivity to the hormone and eliminating it, thus increasing the feeling of satiety. In addition, acupuncture promoted moderate digestion and slower gastric emptying and balanced Triglycerides and bad Cholesterol levels over time
Weight loss is a challenge in the today’s world, but the evidence that acupuncture works directly on mechanisms related to metabolism and weight gain (as well as sugar and fats), in addition to the proven ability of acupuncture to calm the mind (thus reducing craving) supports healthy and consistent weight loss.
The program "Beat the high cholesterol, sugar, blood pressure and weight - in just 6 weeks" consists of 4 customized steps and close personal guidance that will ensure success that will stay with you for a long time:
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Personal diagnosis according to Chinese medicine, as a complement to the treatment the patient receives at a Western medicine clinic/hospital
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Acupuncture treatments and herbal formula and tea infusions that have been scientifically proven to aid weight loss
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Customized nutritional counseling, according to the patient's lifestyle
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Each participant will also receive a starter kit, recipes booklet and videos, tips and research
Research Bibliography:
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Zhang, Kepei, et al. "Acupuncture on obesity: clinical evidence and possible neuroendocrine mechanisms." Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine: eCAM 2018 (2018).
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Wang, Li-Hua et al. “Mechanisms of Acupuncture Therapy for Simple Obesity: An Evidence-Based Review of Clinical and Animal Studies on Simple Obesity.” Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine (2019), doi:10.1155/2019/5796381