Q. A lot of people are using trendy diet coffees or supplements these days; as an Oriental Medicine doctor, what method do you recommend?

To be honest, when I was younger, I tried almost everything to lose weight quickly. I've had moments of dizziness and looking back, I realize I made quite a few mistakes. Diet coffees and supplements certainly have advantages: they are easily accessible, and the caffeine can temporarily boost metabolism to increase energy expenditure, making them an attractive starting point. However, the disadvantages are equally distinct. Those sensitive to caffeine often experience heart palpitations or insomnia. More importantly, because these methods only provide external stimulation without addressing the root cause, there is a strong tendency for the body to return to its original state once you stop using them. In Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM), the reasons for weight gain differ for every individual. Some have a slow metabolism due to Spleen Deficiency (脾虛), where energy is low and the digestive system is weak. Others suffer from severe edema—making weight loss difficult—due to the accumulation of Phlegm-Fluid (痰飮) or Blood Stasis (瘀血) that hinders circulation. Therefore, I recommend 'looking into your body's current state' first. This doesn't simply mean eating less and moving more, but rather identifying exactly where your metabolic flow is blocked. Once that is determined, combining personalized herbal medicine with the right lifestyle habits is the safest and most efficient path to weight loss.