While acupuncture has been shown to complement traditional weight loss methods, it is not a cure for weight loss unto itself. Acupuncture can help control hunger, making adhering to a calorie-restrictive diet easier. Acupuncture has also been shown to ease stress, depression and anxiety, which can make it easier to manage emotional (over) eating. And acupuncture works to stimulate beneficial hormones, which can enhance the effects of a healthy diet and exercise. Acupuncture may aid weight loss efforts, but it is not a panacea.
The Data
Studies designed to observe the independent effect of acupuncture as a treatment for weight loss have found that acupuncture therapy alone does not influence body fat percentage. However, many of these same studies also reveal evidence that acupuncture may produce effects which could support weight loss efforts. A 1996 pilot study "The Failure of Acupuncture in the Treatment of Obesity," conducted at the University of Florence Medical School in Italy, is one such study that found no evidence that acupuncture, by itself, promotes weight loss. But it also observed "a significant improvement in anxiety and depression" among the participants of the group in the study treated with acupuncture in contrast to the group who received fake acupuncture.
A randomized controlled study conducted at the Institute of Traditional Medicine and National Yang-Ming University in Taiwan, published in a 2002 edition of the Journal of Women's Health and titled "The Effect of Auricular Acupuncture in Obese Women," came to a similar conclusion. Acupuncture alone produced no difference in body fat percentage in this study either, but a significant difference in hormone levels which affect the feeling of hunger and satiety was observed in the group that received real acupuncture in contrast to the control group.
The Conclusion
Based on these, and other similar studies, we can conclude that acupuncture as a tool for weight loss is like using an electric saw to cut wood. The saw won't do the work for you. You still have to get in there and get your hands dirty. Using the saw does, however, make doing the work a little easier. There's evidence to suggest that acupuncture aids weight loss, but there's currently no scientific evidence to suggest that acupuncture induces weight loss. Acupuncture is meant to complement traditional weight loss methods, not serve as a substitute for them.
Acupuncture as a Part of a Weight Loss Strategy
A healthy diet and daily exercise are fundamental to an effective weight loss strategy. You can use acupuncture to support these efforts, but you should not use it to replace them. The only way to achieve weight loss has not changed--you must burn more calories than you consume. Lifestyle habits, dietary habits and your mental outlook have to change if weight loss is to be achieved and sustained. Eat fewer calories than your body requires. Do not starve your body as this will only depress your metabolism and make weight gain easier. Be active. Get at least 30 minutes of daily aerobic exercise. Set aside 20 minutes a day, three to four days per week, for some form of strength training. In addition to this, you can use acupuncture to help manage feelings of hunger and ease stress and depression which could dampen your motivation to stick to your diet and exercise routine.
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