Highest Weight Loss and Abdominal Adiposity Loss With Hypocaloric Diet Plan and Auricular Acupuncture

Highest Weight Loss and Abdominal Adiposity Loss With Hypocaloric Diet Plan and Auricular Acupuncture

Highest Weight Loss and Abdominal Adiposity Loss With Hypocaloric Diet Plan and Auricular Acupuncture

The implications of obesity, especially visceral fat, in health are well known. It would be desirable to control obesity by safe and effective treatment modalities. Aim: To assess the effectiveness of Auricular Acupuncture (AA) on body weight loss in a Portuguese sample.

Methods: After a pre-study, a prospective experimental randomized, controlled and single-blinded study was conducted. The sample included 31 adult women with ages ranging from 20 to 51 years old. The groups had a frequency of physical activity ≥ 2 and ≤ 4 times per week. Individuals with BMI ≤ 24.9 Kg/m2 and pregnant women excluded from the study. All participants were then randomized into one of three groups: group 1 was treated with Vaccaria seeds plus diet therapy, group 2 with ASP needles plus diet therapy and finally, group 3 received only diet therapy. A licensed nutritionist prescribed the hypocaloric diet plan. Baseline evaluation included anthropometric measures collected according to standardized procedures. They received two treatments per week for a total of 6 weeks. After one month of follow-up, all the anthropometric measures were reevaluated. Main Parameters: Weight/body composition by bioelectrical impedance analysis. Secondary parameters: Waist to height ratio (WHtR), weight and Body Mass Index (BMI).

Vaccaria seeds at the exterior side of the ear area, standard points were selected according to clinical experience in traditional Chinese medicine: Shenmen (TF4), Stomach (CO4), Hunger, Mouth (CO1), Point Zero HX1) and Sanjiao (CO17). Mustard seeds (Vaccaria ear seeds, Beijing Zhongyan Taihe Medicine, Beijing, China) were used, plus diet therapy prescribed by a licensed nutritionist.

ASP needles on the outside of the ear standard points were selected according to clinical experience in traditional Chinese medicine: ASP gold needles, strengthening the centre with point 0 (the umbilicus) in the dominant ear, Porta Fortunae in the non-dominant ear, Barbiturate in the non-dominant ear, Psychosomatique key point in the dominant ear and the point Aggression, plus diet therapy prescribed by a licensed nutritionist.

The hypocaloric diet is one in which there is a reduction of daily calories or foods with high caloric density usually in order to aid weight loss.

Auriculotherapy is a technique derived from traditional acupuncture developed into a distinct treatment system of its own. It is based on either, the introduction of needles (auricular acupuncture), or pressure with Vaccaria seeds (acupressure). Those forms of auriculotherapy are applied on a set of anatomical maps at a specific point in the auricular region.

Auriculotherapy is a technique derived from traditional acupuncture developed into a distinct treatment system of its own. It is based on either, the introduction of needles (auricular acupuncture), or pressure with Vaccaria seeds (acupressure). Those forms of auriculotherapy are applied on a set of anatomical maps at a specific point in the auricular region.

Inclusion Criteria: Adults Unfamiliar to acupuncture Exclusion Criteria: Psychotropic medication Psychiatric or thyroid disorders Pregnancy