Weight Loss Programs

Conditions such as over-weight and obesity were seldom mentioned in ancient Chinese medical records. Nowadays, there are more and more people have weight problems either over-weight or obesity.

There are multi-factors in relation to weight problems. However, weight related problems have a close relationship with the person's constitution, inheritance, medical conditions, age, diet, emotions and lifestyle.

Therefore, in treating weight problems or weight loosing, we must combine western medicine and Chinese medicine together with exercise regime, dietary therapy and beauty therapy treatment in order to make the treatments more effective and long last.

Above all these, the most important thing in the whole treatment regime is the patient/client's motivation.
The patient must want to loose weight from the bottom of her/his heart and thereby she/he will stick to
the treatment protocol.

How does TCM differentiate weight problems?

TCM Differentiation of over-weight or obesity

Differentiation	Excess of the spleen and stomach	Spleen deficiency and excessive dampness,	Primary qi (kidney Yang) deficiency
Manifestation	Fat, especially over the lumbar area, or fat from an early age or with strong muscles	Obvious obesity in the face, neck and abdomen, loose muscles	Obesity with obvious fat in glutaea, loose leg muscles
Accompanying Symptoms and Signs	strong desire for food, excessive eating, red face, sweating and aversion to heat, fullness of the abdomen and constipation	a pale face, tiredness, weak extremities, aversion to cold, excessive sleeps, abdominal fullness, constipation, shortness of breath on exertion, or slight oedema	there may be tiredness, a desire to be quiet and an aversion to move, pale complexion, normal or poor appetite, shortness of breath on exertion, aversion to cold, scanty urine and oedema. Female patients can have these symptoms before or after the menstrual cycle, and impotence and precoital ejaculation may appear in males.
Tongue and Pulse	a normal or slightly red tongue with a thin and yellowish coating, a strong and slippery pulse	a pale tongue with a thin and white coating, a deep, thready and slow pulse	a pale tongue with identified margins, a thin and white coating, a deep thready and slow pulse

What is the TCM Treatment Principle?

Differentiation	Excess syndrome	Deficiency syndrome
Treatment Principle	resolving stagnation, clearing and quenching fire	Reinforcing qi and resolving dampness, invigorating the spleen and nourishing the kidney

Author: Rachel Fang