Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Failure of acupuncture in the treatment of obesity: A pilot study

  • Brief Report
  • Published:
Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Acupuncture has been anecdotally reported to induce weight loss in obese patients. This pilot study examines its efficacy in a randomised, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Forty (33 F, 7 M) obese (BMI>30 kg/m2) outpatients were randomised to either placebo or acupuncture (12 weekly sessions of minimal acupuncture and somatic moxibustion-acupuncture associated with auriculopuncture respectively). BMI, eating attitudes (BES), anxiety (STAI), depression (BDI), and obesity-related quality of life (ORWELL 97) were measured at the beginning and end of the treatment. Six (30%) patients in the treatment group and 12 (60%) in the placebo group dropped out. Intention-to-treat analysis did not show any significant effect of acupuncture on BMI and obesity-related quality of life; eating attitudes improved in both groups, possibly because of the placebo effect. A significant improvement in anxiety and depression was only observed in the acupuncture group. In conclusion, acupuncture does not promote weight loss and is not recommendable in the treatment of obesity. It may, however, improve the psychological status of obese patients.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Sprott H., Franke S., Kluge H., Hein G.: Pain treatment of fibromyalgia by acupuncture. Rheumatol. Intern., 18, 35–36, 1998.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Ulett G.A., Han S., Han J.S.: Electroacupuncture: mechanisms and clinical application. Biol. Psychiatry, 44, 129–138, 1998.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Cui M.: Present status of research abroad concerning the effects of acupuncture and moxibustion on immunologic functions. J. Tradit. Chin. Med., 12, 211–219, 1992.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. List T., Lundeberg T., Lundstrom I., Lindstrom F., Ravald N.: The effect of acupuncture in the treatment of patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome. A controlled study. Acta Odontol. Scand., 56, 95–99, 1998.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Zhang Z.: Weight reduction by auricolopuncture — a report of 110 cases. J. Tradit. Chin. Med., 10, 17–18, 1990.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Xu B., Fei J.Z.: Clinical observation of the weight-reducing effect of ear acupuncture in 350 cases of obesity. J. Tradit. Chin. Med., 5, 87–88, 1985.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Shiraishi T., Onoe M., Kageyama T., Sameshima Y., Kojima T., Konishi S., Yoshimatsu H., Sakata T.: Effects of auricular acupuncture stimulation on non-obese, healthy volunteer subjects. Obes. Res., 3 (suppl. 5), 667S–673S, 1995.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Huang M.H., Yang R.C., Hu S.H.: Preliminary results of triple therapy for obesity. Intern. J. Obesity Relat. Metab. Dis., 20, 830–836, 1996.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Richards D., Marley J.: Stimulation of auricular acupuncture points in weight loss. Aust. Fam. Physician, 27 (suppl. 2), S73–S77, 1998.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Lei Z.P.: Treatment of 42 cases of obesity with acupuncture. J. Tradit. Chin. Med., 8, 125–126, 1988.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Sun Q., Xu Y.: A survey of the treatment of obesity by traditional Chinese medicine. J. Tradit. Chin. Med., 13, 124–128, 1993.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Liu Z., Sun F.: Recent progress in the studies on weight reduction by acupuncture and moxibustion. J. Tradit. Chin. Med., 15, 224–230, 1995.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Ernst E.: Acupuncture/acupressure for weight reduction? A systematic review. Wien Kli. Wochenschr., 109, 60–62, 1997.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Vincent C., Lewith G.: Placebo control for acupuncture studies. J. Roy. Soc. Med., 88, 199–202, 1995.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Minciarelli S.: Trattamento dell’obesità con l’automassaggio secondo il “metodo delle nove forme”. Orientamenti MTC, 2, 112–118, 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Di Bernardo M., Barciulli E., Ricca V., Mannucci E., Moretti S., Cabras P.L., Rotella C.M.: Validazione della versione italiana della Binge Eating Scale in pazienti obesi. Minerva Psichiatrica, 39, 125–130, 1998.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Spielberg C.D., Gorsuch R.L., Lushene R.E.: Manual for the State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (self-evaluation questionnaire). Palo Alto, Consulting Psychologist Press, 1970.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Beck A.T., Ward G.H., Mendelson M., Mock J., Erbanch J.: An inventory for measuring depression. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry, 41, 561–565, 1961.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Mannucci E., Ricca V., Barciulli E., Di Bernardo M., Travaglini R., Cabras P.L., Rotella C.M.: Measuring quality of life in obese patients: the Obesity-Related WELL-being (ORWELL 97) questionnaire. Addict. Behav., 24, 343–357, 1999.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Pathophysiology, Section of Endocrinology, Florence, Italy

    R. Mazzoni, E. Mannucci, S. M. Rizzello &  Carlo M. Rotella

  2. Unit of Psychiatry, Department of Neurological and Psychiatric Sciences, University of Florence Medical School, Florence, Italy

    V. Ricca

Authors
  1. R. Mazzoni
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. E. Mannucci
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. S. M. Rizzello
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. V. Ricca
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Carlo M. Rotella
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Mazzoni, R., Mannucci, E., Rizzello, S.M. et al. Failure of acupuncture in the treatment of obesity: A pilot study. Eat Weight Disord 4, 198–202 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03339737

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03339737

Key words

Search

Navigation