📝 Detailed Answer
In clinical practice, patients typically fall into two categories. First, those whose metabolism is stalled due to the accumulation of Dam-eum (痰飮, phlegm-fluid retention or metabolic waste). For these individuals, herbal medicine that boosts metabolism provides a rapid sense of lightness. Second are those with Bi-heo (脾虛, Spleen Deficiency), characterized by poor digestion and easy fatigue. If these patients simply starve themselves, their overall health collapses before the weight drops; therefore, they require prescriptions that tonify their energy (Qi) while suppressing appetite.
I often see patients who experience severe yo-yo effects or extreme exhaustion after using conventional weight loss drugs. In such cases, we must first resolve Eo-hyeol (瘀血, blood stasis)—the stagnation of blood and toxins—to open the path for weight loss. Through my experience, I've learned that the core of a successful diet is not 'not eating,' but 'creating a body that burns efficiently.'
Because prescriptions are determined through pulse diagnosis (Maek-jin) and medical inquiry (Mun-jin), a tonic for one person could be detrimental to another. Before being swayed by testimonials of others' success, I recommend first identifying exactly where your body's circulation is blocked.