Ear stapling: A risky and unproven procedure for appetite suppression and weight loss.

February 16, 2010

Ear stapling: A risky and unproven procedure for appetite suppression and weight loss.

Ear Nose Throat J. 2010 Jan;89(1):E20-2

Authors: Winter LK, Spiegel JH

In an effort to achieve weight loss, many people are pursuing alternative medical interventions. Widely available as a variant of acupuncture, ear stapling (in which a surgical staple is placed in the conchal bowl of the ear) is reported by practitioners to decrease the appetite and induce weight loss. This practice lacks proven efficacy and has a significant risk of infection and deformity. We report a series of 3 patients who developed complications from ear stapling and present this article to describe the practice so that physicians will be prepared when encountering a staple in the ear.

PMID: 20155684 [PubMed - in process]

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Observation of sympathomimetic effect of ear acupuncture stimulation for body weight reduction.

November 26, 2009

Observation of sympathomimetic effect of ear acupuncture stimulation for body weight reduction.

Am J Chin Med. 2009;37(6):1023-30

Authors: Shen EY, Hsieh CL, Chang YH, Lin JG

Ear acupuncture stimulation has been used for body weight reduction as early as the 1970s. Several hypotheses have been proposed in literature regarding its mechanism of action, among which are the effects of the stimulation of the hypothalamic satiety center on decreased neuropeptide Y production. Here, we present another possible mechanism to account for the temporary and short-term effects of ear acupuncture stimulation in the treatment of obesity, the sympathetic effects of the autonomic nervous system. 14 female volunteers underwent a randomized clinical trial of the ear acupuncture stimulation. A prospective, sham-point control, crossover study was performed with two sequential four-week stimulation periods separated by a two-week washout interval. The clinical features of and effects on the autonomic nervous system were recorded and analyzed. Decreased body weight was observed in both the experimental and the control groups in the first 4 weeks of stimulation. Sympathomimetic effects were also noted in both groups. Whereas the sympathomimetic effects and body weight reduction were sustained in the experimental group in the second 4 weeks of stimulation, such effects were not observed in the control group. Some sympathomimetic effects were noted in both the experimental and the control groups initially. This effect remained apparent in the experimental group in sequential stimulation but was lost in the control group. Consequently, we believe that sympathomimetic effects may account for the reduction in body weight by temporarily increasing basal metabolic rate and decreasing appetite, but the body may regain weight after the termination of such effects. Accordingly, the combination of an optimal exercise and diet program with repeated acupoint therapy may be necessary to maintain a healthy body weight.

PMID: 19938213 [PubMed - in process]

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Remembering “It’s Just A Meal” Will Help You Keep Unwanted Pounds Off This Holiday Season

November 13, 2009

Making sure you get right back on your weight loss plan after a big holiday meal is what will help you maintain your weight this holiday season. “Most of us will eat snacks and sweets the week leading up to Thanksgiving or Christmas, then continue for days afterwards,” said Gaye Lynn Hicks, RD, LD, with The Methodist Weight Management Center in Houston.

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Mood Improves On Low-Fat, But Not Low-Carb, Diet

November 10, 2009

After one year, a low-calorie, low-fat diet appears more beneficial to dieters’ mood than a low-carbohydrate plan with the same number of calories, according to a report in the November 9 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Obese individuals who lose weight tend to have an improved psychological state, including a better mood, according to background information in the article. “Despite the consistency of official recommendations advocating a high-carbohydrate, low-fat, energy-restricted diet for obesity treatment, the obesity epidemic has led to widespread interest in alternative dietary patterns for weight management, including very low-carbohydrate ‘ketogenic’ diets that are typically high in protein and fat (particularly saturated fat),” the authors write. “While recent clinical studies have shown that low-carbohydrate diets can be an effective alternative dietary approach for weight loss, their long-term effects on psychological function, including mood and cognition, have been poorly studied.”

Grant D. Brinkworth, Ph.D., of Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation – Food and Nutritional Sciences, Adelaide, Australia, and colleagues conducted a randomized clinical trial…

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Safe, Natural Weight Loss Product Now Works Even Harder To Fight Fat

June 15, 2009

Life Extension® has combined the patented plant extract, Integra-Lean™ Irvingia, with a new Calorie Control Complex to fight fat using seven biological mechanisms. Irvingia, an extract of the West African mango fruit Irvingia gabonensis, functions via four biological mechanisms to promote weight loss. 1. Irvingia shuts down the appetite and shrinks bloated fat cells by reversing resistance to leptin.

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Link Between Successful Weight Loss And Vitamin D Levels

June 13, 2009

Vitamin D levels in the body at the start of a low-calorie diet predict weight loss success, a new study found. The results, which suggest a possible role for vitamin D in weight loss, were presented at The Endocrine Society’s 91st Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

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Getting More “Health,” Less “Sickness” Into Marriage Vows

June 11, 2009

It’s June, the month when many couples promise to stay together “in sickness and in health.” But research shows both men and women tend to gain weight right after marriage so as brides and grooms-to-be prepare to tie the knot this summer, nutrition experts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have some suggestions for how couples can help each other stay healthier together. Penny Gordon-Larsen, Ph.D.

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Study shows value of food diary in losing weight

July 20, 2008

WASHINGTON (Reuters Life!) – Keeping a food diary — a detailed account of what you eat and drink and the calories it packs — is a powerful tool in helping people lose weight, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.

The study involving 1,685 middle-aged men and women over six months found those who kept such a diary just about every day lost about twice as much weight as those who did not.

The findings buttressed earlier research that endorsed the value of food diaries in helping people lose weight. Companies including Weight Watchers International Inc use food diaries in their weight-loss programs.

Read the complete article by Will Dunham…

Keywords: calorie, weight, obesity, exercise, weight loss

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Man counted calories, watched the pounds go

July 19, 2008

Sujit Bhattacharya knew he felt sluggish and had trouble putting on his socks and shoes. One day, when he tried on a pair of size 30 shorts, his wife pointed out that they fit only under his belly.

Yet Bhattacharya, of Coppell, Texas, never paid attention to his weight problem until his doctor told him he had high cholesterol in summer 2006. His friends also told him that he had become heavy and needed to do something about it.

The feedback was upsetting, he acknowledged, but the combination of his friends’ prodding and the cholesterol numbers motivated him to start trimming down his 193-pound frame.

"I needed some tough love: things I didn’t want to hear but needed to hear," Bhattacharya said.

He researched how to lose weight extensively on the Internet, including CNN.com’s health section. He learned that 3,500 calories add up to one pound of weight and tried to figure out how to eat to decrease his daily caloric intake.

Read the complete article by CNN’s Elizabeth Landau…

Keywords: calorie, weight, obesity, exercise, weight loss, cholesterol

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