Ear Acupuncture May Hold Promise for Weight Loss

By Steven Reinberg

HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, Dec. 17, 2013 (HealthDay News) -- Placing five acupuncture needles in the outer ear may help people lose that spare tire, researchers report.

Ear acupuncture therapy is based on the theory that the outer ear represents all parts of the body. One type uses one needle inserted into the area that is linked to hunger and appetite, while the other involves inserting five needles at different key points in the ear.

"If the trend we found is supported by other studies, the hunger acupuncture point is a good choice in terms of convenience. However, for patients suffering from central obesity, continuous stimulation of five acupuncture points should be used," said lead researcher Sabina Lim, from the department of meridian and acupuncture in the Graduate College of Basic Korean Medical Science at Kyung Hee University in Seoul, South Korea.

According to Lim, the effectiveness of acupuncture on obese patients is closely related to metabolic function. "Increased metabolic function promotes the consumption of body fat, overall, resulting in weight loss," she said.

The report was published online Dec. 16 in the journal Acupuncture in Medicine.

Dr. David Katz, director of the Yale University Prevention Research Center, said, "We must avoid rushing to judge that a treatment is ineffective just because we don't understand the mechanism. Rather, if a treatment is genuinely effective, it invites us to figure out the mechanism."

But this study does not prove the effectiveness of acupuncture, he said. "Placebo effects are strong, particularly when they involve needles. The evidence here falls short of proof," Katz said.