Effect of auricular acupuncture on weight reduction in a sample of obese children

ABSTRACT

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