Obesity medications like Wegovy are very popular these days. What approach do you recommend at a Korean medicine clinic?
While medications like Wegovy suppress appetite quickly, they often cause side effects such as nausea and muscle loss. Traditional Korean Medicine focuses on enhancing your metabolic capacity to create a constitution that naturally burns fat, rather than simply restricting food intake. The best approach is to choose a method that aligns with your current physical condition.
I understand the frustration and urgency of wanting quick results, as I have also experienced the trial and error of extreme fasting and following trending diet methods in the past.
Pharmacological treatments certainly offer rapid results; appetite drops sharply and the number on the scale changes quickly. However, these come with a clear cost. Patients often experience digestive distress, dizziness, and a significant risk of losing muscle mass, which lowers the basal metabolic rate. This often leads to the 'yo-yo effect,' where weight is regained quickly after stopping the medication.
In Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM), we focus on creating a 'body that burns well' rather than just 'not eating.' For those with Spleen Deficiency (Bi-heo, 脾虛), where metabolic rates are slow due to weakened digestive and transformative functions, we provide treatments to boost energy and promote expenditure. By removing Eohyeol (瘀血, blood stasis) and Dameum (痰飮, accumulated phlegm/fluid waste) that block circulation, we reduce edema and restore normal metabolic function.
Ultimately, it is difficult to say that one method is absolutely superior. Some patients need a rapid start, while others must first restore their body's overall balance. The wisest choice is to decide after a thorough evaluation of your specific constitution and current health status.
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