Obesity and life expectancy
A study has shown that obese men with body mass index of 35 or above, have a reduced life expectancy of 8 years. This is a conclusion of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Women of the same age , have a life expectancy reduction of 6 years.
Causes of obesity
When there’s an imbalance between eating and burning calories, we may face an accumulation of energy as fat. However overeating is not the only reason for obesity and there are more factors that may cause obesity:
– genetics
– Health conditions and medication
– stress, emotional factors and sleeping disorders
Acupuncture and Obesity
International journal of obesity January 2009, published a review of 31 studies on the efficiency of acupuncture to treat obesity. The systematic review was comprised of 3013 individual cases where acupuncture was used to reduce body weight. The aim of this review was to critically assess evidence for reduction of body weight.
The review showed that acupuncture significantly reduced average body weight and obesity when compared to conventional medication.
How Acupuncture helps
Acupuncture is affective in reducing stress, boosting digestion and improving metabolism, these are believed to play an essential role in weight management. Acupuncture and moxibustion (herbal heat therapy) may reduce blood sugar levels and influence blood insulin levels. Acupuncture rebalances all the hormones within body which can sometimes be a cause of weight gain.