Q. Many people are interested in popular obesity medications like Mounjaro these days. From a Korean Medicine doctor's perspective, what do you recommend?

I can empathize with patients' struggles because I once tried extreme fasting during my student days, only to find myself dizzy and completely exhausted. Modern obesity medications are highly effective at rapidly suppressing appetite, which provides strong initial motivation through fast weight loss. However, they come with clear drawbacks: common gastrointestinal side effects like nausea, and a significant risk of losing muscle mass, which ultimately lowers your basal metabolic rate. In Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM), we focus on 'why the weight isn't coming off' rather than simply 'not eating.' We examine whether you have Spleen Deficiency (脾虛), meaning your digestive system is too weak to utilize energy efficiently, or if there is Blood Stasis (瘀血) causing sluggish circulation and waste accumulation. If there is a severe buildup of Phlegm-Fluid (痰飮)—unnecessary fluid retention in the body—you will continue to feel heavy regardless of the medication used. Ultimately, the right approach varies for every individual. Even if you choose to use pharmaceutical treatments for rapid loss, supplementing with herbal medicine to replenish vital energy (Qi) and boost metabolic function will give you the resilience to prevent the yo-yo effect. I want to help you find a healthy, sustainable pace of weight loss that your body can actually handle, rather than a diet based on forced depletion.