Q. Does high blood sugar really make it easier to gain weight? I'm curious why that happens.

In the past, I experienced dizzy spells after trying extreme fasting or over-exercising, which caused my blood sugar to fluctuate wildly. This highlights how delicate the balance is. When blood sugar rises abruptly, the hormone insulin pushes glucose into the cells. If this process occurs too frequently or excessively, the surplus sugar is converted directly into stored fat. From the perspective of Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM), this state is often viewed as 'Bi-heo' (脾虛), or Spleen Deficiency. When the function of the Spleen—which governs digestion and absorption—is weakened, the body's ability to regulate blood sugar diminishes, making it easier for metabolic waste to accumulate. If this is coupled with 'Dameum' (痰飮, phlegm-fluid accumulation caused by poor fluid metabolism) or 'Eohyeol' (瘀血, blood stasis), the overall metabolism slows down further. This creates a cycle where a person may gain weight even with low caloric intake or experience blood sugar spikes after eating very little. Of course, the mechanism for weight gain varies. For some, 'false hunger' caused by psychological stress is the primary issue, while others may suffer from high insulin resistance. The key lies in how efficiently your body processes glucose. Rather than simply reducing calories, the most effective approach is to normalize your body's metabolic flow and restore internal balance.