Reviewed by최연승대표원장
How exactly do herbal obesity treatments work? Why do I lose weight with them?
In simple terms, herbal medicine suppresses excessive appetite and increases your metabolic rate to help your body burn energy more efficiently. From a Western medical perspective, it stimulates the sympathetic nervous system to raise the basal metabolic rate and induce satiety. From a TKM perspective, it removes accumulated metabolic waste—specifically Dam-eum (phlegm-fluid) and Eo-hyeol (blood stasis)—to clear blocked Qi and blood circulation, creating an internal environment that 'consumes more and eats less.'
Weight loss is often a struggle because our bodies are biologically designed to store energy. For many modern people, stress and irregular eating habits lead to a decline in metabolic function, making it difficult to lose weight through willpower alone. Herbal obesity treatments act as a 'switch' to restart this stalled system. They work by modulating the appetite center in the brain to reduce 'false hunger' and slightly increasing heart rate and body temperature to ensure energy is expended even at rest.
In Traditional Korean Medicine, obesity is often viewed as a result of 'Bi-heo' (Spleen Deficiency). When the Spleen is weak, the body fails to properly transport and transform nutrients, leading to the accumulation of waste products known as Dam-eum (phlegm-fluid) and Eo-hyeol (blood stasis). When these toxins lodge between blood vessels and cells, metabolism slows down, and the body becomes resistant to weight loss regardless of caloric intake.
Therefore, these treatments are not designed to simply force you to endure hunger. Instead, they focus on flushing out Dam-eum and Eo-hyeol to restore the smooth flow of Qi and Blood. By addressing these root causes, the body regains its natural ability to burn energy, which helps minimize the 'yo-yo effect' of weight regain. Because every individual's constitution and the severity of Spleen Deficiency differ, receiving a personalized prescription tailored to your specific body type is crucial for success.