RESUMO
Introduction: 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. There are numerous therapies for obesity, including pharmacotherapy, acupuncture therapy, dietary therapy, exercise therapy, and surgical therapy. The auricular acupuncture therapy is one of the regional acupuncture therapies which have treated various diseases through a needle insertion on the auricle. Its effects 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
Objective: The objective of this study is to study the effect of auricular acupuncture on weight reduction, BMI, BMIP, lipid profile, fasting insulin and lepin levels, in a sample of obese children
Sample: The study was conducted on 34 obese children [6-12] years attending the outpatient-s clinics of the National Research Center, these subjects were divided randomly into 2 groups Group A, were subjected to auricular acupuncture, balanced low caloric diet. Group B, were subjected to sham auricular acupuncture, balanced low caloric diet. In both groups, acupuncture and sham acupuncture were given twice weekly over the course of 12 weeks
Results: There were significant reductions in weight, BMI, HC, WC, Cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL and insulin resistance in group A after treatment and they were more than reduction in group B [p value < 0.001]. There were significant reduction in insulin and leptin in group A after treatment and they were more than reduction in group B [p value 0.005], [p value 0.09] respectively. So acupuncture therapy in combination with diet restriction was found to be effective for weight loss and also reduction of the obesity- associated risks factors, such as dyslipidemia