Effect of Auricular Acupuncture on Weight Reduction in a Sample of Obese Children

Abstract

Background: There is growing evidence that obese children are at greater risk for several metabolic disturbances, including glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, hyperlipidemia, the metabolic syndrome, and diabetes mellitus, as well as for cardiovascular disease and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Therefore, the prevention and treatment of obesity have become major problems facing medical professionals. At present, there are numerous therapies for obesity, including dietary therapy, exercise therapy, pharmacotherapy, acupuncture therapy and surgical therapy. The auricular acupuncture therapy is one of the regional acupuncture therapies used commonly in the Oriental medicine, which have treated various diseases of body through a needle insertion on the auricle. The therapeutic effects of the auricular acupuncture therapy can be explained by a relationship between the original functions of nerves distributed on the auricle and internal organs. Recent studies have indicated that acupuncture can reduce body weight in patients with simple obesity, as well as lower their Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio.