Q. How is weight loss at a Korean medicine clinic different from typical starvation diets?
Rather than simply suppressing appetite, it is a process of restoring metabolic functions based on your specific constitution to create a body that burns fat efficiently on its own.
📝 Detailed Answer
I have personally tried starving myself in my younger years, and I know all too well how it leaves you feeling depleted, dizzy, and unable to function in daily life—only for the weight to return quickly. This is why Korean medicine weight loss focuses on removing unnecessary waste products while maintaining your basal metabolic rate.
In Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM), the state where weight loss is difficult is often viewed through the lens of Damjeok (痰積, phlegm-accumulation) or Biheo (脾虛, Spleen deficiency). This means waste materials are blocking circulation, or the digestive and absorptive functions are weakened, preventing the body from utilizing energy properly.
- Damjeok (痰積): A state where abnormal fluids accumulate in the body, hindering overall metabolism.
- Biheo (脾虛): A weakened Spleen function leading to inefficient energy production and distribution.
- Eohyeol (瘀血): Stagnant blood flow that causes edema or congestion in specific areas of the body.
Instead of relying solely on appetite suppressants, we provide prescriptions that first address your body's weakest links. This approach is essential to minimizing the yo-yo effect and maintaining health over the long term.
💡 Treatment Goals
To remove the root causes of metabolic decline through constitutional analysis, minimize muscle loss, and create an internal environment that effectively discharges toxins.
Expert Verified
Dr. Yeonseung Choe
Chief Director
Last reviewed 2026.04.30