Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Zhongyi Zazhi); 1997, Vol.38:3; pp155-7

Liu Zhi-Cheng, Sun Feng, Hu Kui 

This study follows 919 patients with Stomach/Intestine excess heat-type obesity through a one-month treatment course of acupuncture.  Of the 919 patients, most were women (814), and fat percentages were: 20-30% in 304 patients, 31-50% in 428 patients, and >50% in 151 patients.  48 subjects were accepted into a control group.  There was a significant improvement in the treatment group over the control group.

Signs, symptoms, and treatment:

The treatment group was divided into three subgroups:

1. Heat accumulation in the Stomach: obesity, exuberant appetite, swift digestion with rapid hungering, thirst with desire for cool drinks, bad breath, red tongue with yellow coat, rapid or slippery pulse.  The treatment principle is to disperse Stomach and drain heat.  Treatment: ear points: external nose, stomach, endocrine; body points: St36, St44, LI11.

2. Small Intestine excess heat:  obesity, short reddish urine, red face with profuse sweating, thirst with desire for drink, red tongue or with red tip, yellow coat, rapid pulse.  The treatment principle is to disperse heat and abduct the red (which refers to draining SI heat through the urine).  Treatment: ear points: SJ, SI, endocrine; body points: St36, SI4, SI2.

3. Intestinal dryness with stool accumulation: obesity, constipation (one BM every three days), small amount of stool, bad breath and dizziness, red dry tongue, yellow or dry coat, rapid wiry slippery pulse.  The treatment principle is to moisten the intestines and open the bowels.  Treatment: ear points: LI, Lu, SJ; body points: St37, LI4, LI11. 

            According to the patient, back-shu and front-mu points were also used, as were yuan-source and luo-connecting points.

Tacks or seeds were used for the ear points, were to be stimulated 3x/day for 1-2 min., and were changed every 3-5 days.  Body points were retained for 30 min., and treatment was performed every other day.

Results:

21.5% were “cured” (without symptoms, body fat in men was <20% and <30% in women).

25% had “good result” (obvious symptom improvement, weight reduction by 5kg or more, or fat percentage reduced by 5% or more).

45.5% had “some result” (symptom improvement, weight reduced by 3kg. or more, or fat percentage reduced by 1% or more).

7.9% were “without effect” (no obvious symptom improvement, weight reduced by less than 3kg, or fat percentage reduced by less than 1%). 

            The treatment group had a statistically significant improvement over the control group (P<0.01).