Q. Which is more effective: a very low-calorie diet (like the Denmark diet) or a conventional diet, and what are the differences?

Many people are initially attracted to extreme diets because the numbers on the scale drop quickly. However, such approaches often lead to sudden fatigue and dizziness. From a Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM) perspective, very low-calorie diets are perceived by the body as an 'emergency state.' This easily leads to Spleen Deficiency (脾虛, bi-heo), where the digestive and absorptive functions are impaired. When the body's energy is depleted this way, even a light diet becomes difficult to sustain, and once the restriction ends, the body absorbs nutrients like a sponge, leading to the 'yo-yo effect.' In contrast, conventional dieting allows the body time to adapt. In TKM, we prioritize clearing metabolic waste—such as Phlegm-Fluid (痰飮, dam-eum) and Blood Stasis (瘀血, eo-hyeol)—before simply slashing calories. Just as you must clear trash from a house before rearranging the furniture, you must clear metabolic debris for dietary changes to be truly effective. Here is a comparison between the two approaches: | Category | Very Low-Calorie Diet | Conventional Diet / TKM Management | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Weight Loss Speed | Very Fast | Gradual | | Sustainability | Low (Psychological Pressure) | High (Habit Formation) | | Physical Impact | Risk of Decreased Basal Metabolic Rate | Maintenance and Improvement of Metabolic Function | | Primary Focus | Caloric Restriction | Constitution Improvement & Waste Removal | | Recommended For | Short-term urgent needs | Those seeking healthy, long-term maintenance | I recommend we first examine whether your body can withstand extreme restriction or if we need to boost your metabolic function first before deciding on the best strategy.