Article 15: Meridian Weight Loss – The Best Weight Loss Drug Is Within You (Principles and Classifications)

Meridian weight loss: the best weight loss drug is on your body.

There's an old saying, "Being thin covers up three flaws," and weight loss has become a lifelong pursuit for women who love beauty. Many people spend a fortune seeking miracle cures at beauty salons and buying all sorts of "effective" weight loss pills. But even if these weight loss products seem to work, it's only temporary. After taking them, they either cause diarrhea or loss of appetite and thirst. Although you lose weight quickly, the rebound is even faster, harming your health, and the fat still remains. Losing weight isn't actually that difficult. Find the root cause of the problem within yourself and address the excess fat at its source to lose weight correctly.

So, what is the principle behind meridian therapy for weight loss?

Acupoint stimulation: Acupuncture and ear acupressure stimulate local areas of the body, and the stimulation information is transmitted to adipose tissue through meridians and acupoints, which accelerates fat decomposition and inhibits fat synthesis, thereby achieving a balance in the body's fat metabolism.

Drug action: The drug can be directly absorbed through the skin, orifices, acupoints and other parts, enter the meridians and blood vessels, and then be distributed throughout the body to exert its pharmacological effects, thereby accelerating the decomposition, liquefaction and metabolism of fat, while inhibiting the synthesis of fat.

The effects of meridian unblocking and umbilical therapy: It can accelerate the circulation of blood and lymph, thereby expelling the decomposed and liquefied fat components during the weight loss process through sweat glands, respiratory tract, urine and feces, thereby regulating the balance of endocrine and metabolism.

As we discussed in Chapter 1, there are nine types of body constitutions in Traditional Chinese Medicine. However, if we look at obesity alone, we can roughly divide the body constitutions of obese people into five types: spleen deficiency and dampness obstruction, stomach heat and dampness obstruction, liver and kidney deficiency, liver stagnation and qi stagnation, and yin deficiency and internal heat.

Classification and manifestations of obesity:

Spleen deficiency with dampness: obesity, edema, fatigue, heaviness in the limbs, scanty urine and abdominal distension.

Stomach heat and dampness obstruction type: obesity, dizziness and distension, excessive thirst, heaviness in the limbs, and thirst.

Liver and kidney deficiency type: obesity, fatigue, and soreness in the lower back and legs.

Liver Qi stagnation type: obesity, fullness and discomfort in the chest and ribs, epigastric fullness, irregular menstruation, insomnia and excessive dreaming.

Yin deficiency with internal heat type: obesity, dizziness, lower back pain and weakness, hot flashes in the palms, soles, and chest, and low-grade fever.

Spleen deficiency with dampness retention

People with spleen deficiency and dampness retention are often postpartum women and men who like to drink alcohol. This type of obese person often has qi deficiency, and their physiological characteristics include abdominal obesity, facial swelling, a deep and slow pulse, soft muscles, a pale and swollen tongue with a white and greasy coating, frequent drowsiness, heavy limbs, poor appetite, and a tendency to have diarrhea and loose stools, with weight gain that doesn't stop. This is the type of person we often describe as gaining weight even from drinking water. Meridian therapy for this type of person can involve massage along the Bladder Meridian of Foot Taiyang, Stomach Meridian of Foot Yangming, and Liver Meridian of Foot Jueyin, or acupuncture, massage, and scraping at points such as Liver Shu, Stomach Shu, Zhongwan, Zusanli, and Fenglong. The key to weight loss for this type of obese person is to strengthen the spleen, promote qi circulation, and improve the body's ability to eliminate dampness. While undergoing meridian therapy, drinking red bean and barley soup can also be helpful in reducing swelling and eliminating dampness.

(This section retains the original acupoint names and does not include any images.)