Acupuncture for the treatment of obesity: a review of the evidence

Lacey, Janet M.; Tershakovec, Andrew M.; Foster, Gary D.

doi:10.1038/sj.ijo.0802254

Cited by 139 publications

(73 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…8,9 Despite the above results, the effectiveness of acupuncture on obesity has not been fully understood. Lacey et al 10 reviewed seven randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and reported a modest positive effect of acupuncture for weight loss, although his review was nonsystematic. Meanwhile, Ernst 11 reported an inconclusive result regarding the efficacy of acupuncture on weight loss based on a systematic review, but without a meta-analysis, of four RCTs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Acupuncture for obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis

et al. 2009

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Background and Objective: Acupuncture is widely used in complementary and alternative medicine to reduce body weight. However, a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess an effect of acupuncture has not yet been performed. Aim of this study is to critically assess evidence for reduction of body weight and to evaluate adverse events of acupuncture therapy based on the results of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluate the effect of various types of acupuncture therapies. Data sources: A total of 19 electronic databases, including English, Korean, Japanese and Chinese databases, were systematically searched for RCTs of acupuncture for reduction of body weight or improvement in obesity up to March 2008 with no language restrictions. Methods: RCTs for acupuncture compared either with placebo controlled or with comparator intervention were considered. Studies' methodological qualities were assessed using the Jadad scale. If no evidence of heterogeneity existed across study results, statistical pooling of data was performed using a fixed effects model; otherwise, a random effects model was used. Publication bias was assessed using funnel plots. Subgroup analyses were performed according to types of acupuncture. Results: A total of 31 studies, which comprised a total of 3013 individual cases, were systematically reviewed. Owing to insufficient data in 2 RCTs, 29 RCTs were used for meta-analysis. About two-thirds of the trials (20 out of 31) showed the lowest score of the Jadad. Compared to control of lifestyle, acupuncture was associated with a significant reduction of average body weight (95% confidence interval, CI) of 1.72 kg (0.50-2.93 kg) and associated with an improvement in obesity (relative risk ¼ 2.57; 95% CI, 1.98-3.34). Acupuncture significantly reduced a body weight of 1.56 kg (0.74-2.38 kg), on average, compared to placebo or sham treatments. Acupuncture also showed more improved outcomes for body weight (mean difference ¼ 1.90 kg; 1.66-2.13 kg), as well as for obesity (relative risk ¼ 1.13; 1.04-1.22), than conventional medication. Only four RCTs reported acupuncture-related adverse events, which were mostly minimal. Conclusions: Our review suggests that acupuncture is an effective treatment for obesity. However, the amount of evidence is not fully convincing because of the poor methodological quality of trials reviewed. In conclusion, there is an urgent need for well-planned, long-term studies to address the effectiveness of acupuncture for treating obesity.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Acupuncture for obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis

et al. 2009

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“…17,18,21,22 However its role in obesity control remains largely controversial. [11][12][13] Animal experiments suggest that acupuncture may reduce the appetite with the regulation of feed-related lateral hypothalamic (feeding center) and ventromedial hypothalamic (satiety center) neuronal activity. 23 Despite the minimal side effects, we found some interesting phenomena in our study groups, including the improvement of constipation (two patients) and dysmenorrhea (three patients).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…9,10 Acupuncture is being utilized to treat a variety of health problems, one of which is obesity management. 11 However, the majority of reports lack a well-controlled design. 11,12 Thus, we conducted this randomized crossover clinical trial to examine its effectiveness.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of electroacupuncture in reducing weight and waist circumference in obese women: a randomized crossover trial

et al. 2005

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OBJECTIVE:To compare the effects of weight control on simple obese women between electroacupuncture and sit-up exercise. DESIGN: Randomized and crossover trial conducted from 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2002. The subjects were randomly divided into groups A and B. Group A received electroacupuncture treatment first while group B received sit-up exercise treatment first. After 6 weeks of treatment and 7 days of washout, group A switched to sit-up exercise treatment and group B received electroacupuncture treatment for another 6 weeks. PATIENTS: In total, 54 simple obese women, with waist circumference (WC)490 cm and body mass index (BMI)430 kg/m 2 , and who had not received any other weight control maneuver within the last 3 months. MEASUREMENT: The measurements of body weight (BW), BMI and WC were performed at the beginning, 6, 8 and 13 weeks. The data at different time periods were compared and expressed as % reductions. RESULTS: Electroacupuncture (n ¼ 46) showed significant differences in the % reductions in BW (P ¼ 0.001), BMI (P ¼ 0.003) and WC (P ¼ 0.005) compared with sit-up exercise. At the end of 13 weeks, there were no significant difference between groups A (n ¼ 24) and B (n ¼ 22) in all the measurements. At the end of the study, groups A and B showed significant differences in the % reductions in BW (P ¼ 0.004; 0.001), BMI (P ¼ 0.003; 0.021) and WC (Pr0.001; 0.001) compared with the initial values. CONCLUSIONS: Electroacupuncture treatment is more effective than sit-up exercise in reducing weight and WC, making it an alternative treatment option for weight and WC control on obese women.

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“…Such moderating variables may obscure real differences between groups especially in small samples. One suggested mechanism to control for patients' expectations is the treatment credibility assessment, adapted from Borkovec and Nau (Lacey et al, 2003, as cited in Borkovec & Nau, 1982, which is a simple series of four questions designed to measure the individual's belief www.intechopen.com in the efficacy of treatment. Ideally, the mean scale scores should be equivalent for both treatment and control groups to ensure that the groups are comparable.…”

Section: Reflection About Acupuncture Weight Loss Research Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Standard algorithms need to be developed, based on principles used by practitioners, for example, criteria for selecting and changing point locations, and spacing of treatments (Lacey et al, 2003).…”

Section: Reflection About Acupuncture Weight Loss Research Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%