Q. I keep having yo-yo effects from dieting. Is there a way to check the fundamental cause of obesity in my body?

Repeated yo-yo dieting is usually a signal from your body. Focusing only on weight loss often overlooks the root cause. I personally went through several cycles of yo-yo dieting by blindly starving myself—it was a big mistake. Later I discovered that my body was in a state of spleen deficiency (bi heo). When spleen function weakens, it cannot properly metabolize nutrients, leading to accumulation of dampness (seup) and phlegm-fluid (dameum), making the constitution prone to weight gain. In Traditional Korean Medicine, the cause of obesity is assessed differently based on individual constitution and organ states. For example, the spleen deficiency type presents with digestive issues and bloating; the dampness-phlegm type with swelling and heaviness; the qi stagnation type with stress-induced binge eating; and the blood stasis (eohyeol) type with lower abdominal pain or poor circulation. To determine which pattern is dominant, specialized diagnostic methods such as pulse diagnosis (maekjin), tongue diagnosis (seoljin), and abdominal diagnosis (bokjin) are needed. At Baekrokdam Korean Medicine Clinic, we use this process of pattern identification (byeonjeung) to find the fundamental cause of obesity and propose a tailored approach. I recommend a consultation to accurately understand your body's condition.