By 2002, there were more than 70 million obese Chinese living in China. This is more than the number of obese people currently residing in the USA. The increase in obesity is largely being credited to the adoption of a more westernised diet and lifestyle. As China grapples with its weight problem, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is now being applied in Chinese hospitals to aid weight loss holistically — with great results.

The TCM perspective on weight loss

Chinese medicine sees the problem of weight gain in a very different way from Western Medicine. There are numerous possible diagnoses, but easily the most common is what the Chinese call “spleen qi deficiency”. This can be roughly translated as having weak digestion that does not allow the body to absorb and transport food effectively.

This means no matter how well or how much the person eats, they are left feeling tired, sluggish and usually hungry as the body is not absorbing nutrition from food, which makes weight loss hard. This can lead to a destructive cycle whereby the person always feels hungry and gains weight regardless of the efforts they make to eat less or healthier.

Chinese and Western medicine agree that weight loss is important and that obesity can lead to a range of other illnesses, but the Chinese perspective differs in that obesity is seen as only a symptom of more important underlying problems that, if left untreated, will affect all the other organs in the body.

Spleen qi deficiency and weight loss

Spleen qi deficiency can have a number of different causes and thus approaches to weight loss. There can be a genetic component and similar conditions can run in the same family. Unsurprisingly, it can also be caused by poor diet such as eating meals on the go, unwholesome snacking, lots of greasy or sweet food, too much cold food, cold water or other drinks, particularly beer. All of which hamper weight loss. Eating late at night is especially damaging for this type of condition. The Chinese clock states that the strongest time for the digestion is between 7am and 11am and this is the best time to eat larger or heavier meals.

Too little sleep, lack of movement, overwork and over-thinking or worrying are considered especially hazardous to the spleen and not good for weight loss. Given our current lifestyle, it’s not hard to see why so many people could now be considered spleen qi deficient and thus are earching for a weight loss program.

Signs of spleen qi deficiency

Classical symptoms of this pattern are bloating, sugar cravings, fussy or picky eating, low energy, bowel irregularities, allergies, food intolerances, obesity, sagging skin and muscles, pale complexion, dull and lifeless skin, low immunity, period problems and, in more severe cases, palpitations, dizziness and anxiety. If you experience these, TCM could supply your weight loss answer.

The sweet flavour directly relates to the spleen and stomach in Chinese Medicine. The body craves sugar when it is not receiving enough energy from the food you are eating. Unfortunately, eating sweet foods makes the condition far worse. Most cravings we get are actually the worst things for us and are used in Chinese Medicine as a way of highlighting and diagnosing the problem. Sugar cravings cease when the stomach energy is strengthened again.

Phlegm, dampness and weight loss

This usually follows the development of digestive weakness, but in some cases can arise from other causes. Phlegm and dampness accumulate in the body, making it sluggish and heavy. This roughly translates to lowered metabolism in Western medical terms.

Imagine a lovely stream that cannot flow properly because either there’s not enough water or there’s an obstruction (some rocks that may have fallen and blocked the flow of water, for instance). The water becomes stagnant and starts to turn green; it is no longer fresh water. This affects the rest of the streams water and all the plant and animal life that relies on the stream for nutrients.

This is what happens in a phlegm damp stagnation pattern. If this pattern is not addressed, it affects many other internal organs, particularly the kidneys, reproductive organs and, more noticeably, the lungs. Phlegm accumulates in the lungs after being produced in the stomach. The Chinese have a saying that the stomach produces the phlegm and the lung stores it. Phlegm in the lungs causes difficulty breathing and that wheezing sound; it also can be diagnosed as asthma.

Phlegm can be very difficult to clear from the body. Most people with phlegm and damp accumulation crave greasy or oily food as well as sugar, which of course aggravates the problem further. This pattern makes you feel very tired, cloudy-headed and quite heavy in the body. It can also affect your temperament, making you feel very fiery, restless and emotional.