Obesity (Adipositas, Overweight)

It is not without special reason that I have added obesity to this book, because not everybody is aware that cupping is very useful in the reduction of excess weight. The patient is able to observe convincing results quickly, gain trust in the treatment of obesity with cupping, and hence be motivated to persevere in losing weight.

Obesity is not a disease in itself but a symptom. Nevertheless, this state means that the entire organism is overburdened, as a result of which the risk factors for other diseases frequently arise in obese patients.

With rare exceptions (disease of the internal glands), the primary cause of obesity is found in a long-term disturbance of the ratio between energy intake and consumption, facilitated by the intake of too many calories with a diet that is too rich and a lack of physical exercise. The correct functioning of the metabolism is of prime importance in overweight patients.

Losing weight is difficult for most obese people. Many have tried the various available diets and have occasionally achieved considerable weight loss with drastic starvation diets, only to lapse back into obesity after a short time. Unfortunately, the weight loss of several pounds occurring so promisingly in the first week of a starvation diet is only an illusion. The reason for this is that this loss rests largely on a removal of water, not fat. Fasting diets and diuretic drugs bring only temporary success because the body usually reestablishes its water balance quite quickly. These diets are therefore often frustrating. While currently available appetite inhibitors do make losing weight easier, they are not tenable over time. In most cases, such remedies are not completely without risks.

In the treatment of obesity, we therefore have to prioritize the following measures:

• With the exception of a few cases of obesity caused by endocrine factors, its treatment consists primarily of correcting lifestyle and eating habits.

• Creating an appropriate dietary plan.

• Stimulation of the metabolism.

Effectively reducing weight requires a lot of patience and psychological readjustment. Patience is necessary because these are all measures that must be performed over many months. It is of little benefit to a person’s health to lose something like 15 kg in a short period of time. Neither can most people afford the time or energy to undergo an austere fast or diet for so many weeks or months that it prevents them from fulfilling their professional obligations and experiencing a normal life.

We must take into consideration that modern humans have mostly lost their healthy instincts. With regard to nutrition, this manifests in a lack of moderation in the intake of food. People continue to eat long after their hunger has been satisfied. Simple lack of movement aggravates this situation further. Limiting calorie intake can only be achieved by eating less and with a heightened awareness of calories. This requires a psychological readjustment.

Permanent weight loss cannot be achieved by dieting alone. Real treatment of obesity remains incomplete without a fundamental correction of lifestyle and eating habits. Because the feeling of satiation depends primarily on the amount of consumed food in most obese patients, the change in eating habits should focus less on limiting the amount than on making the proper selection of foods. For example, a low-fat diet, if followed consistently, achieves reliable results. With a proper selection of foods, an overweight person can eat until satiated without ingesting large amounts of calories.

Additional calories can be saved with a glass of mineral water or a yogurt before meals because these fill the stomach and reduce hunger as well as the amount of consumed foods. In this way, overweight people can gradually lose weight over the course of months or even years. At the same time, however, an increase in physical exercise has to occur consistently and permanently, to achieve a higher energy consumption.

Healthy metabolic performance and a well-functioning endocrine system determine whether a person is obese or thin with equal food intake. If these positive preconditions are missing, cupping treatment revitalizes metabolic processes and stimulates endocrine functions. In this context, we take advantage of the experience of cupping as a regulation therapy. Here, the metabolic processes are not influenced by means of artificial drugs, but the weakened endocrine function is retuned and stimulated.

Healthy and vital cellular functioning also includes the elimination of excess water from the tissue, an important prerequisite for the loss of excess weight. As a result of cupping, the stimulated circulation increases the velocity of the blood flow, which in turn leads to a faster discharge of excess water from the tissue. In addition, cupping strengthens peristalsis and thereby regulates bowel movements, which can further be supported by appropriate diet and exercise.

Cupping therapy not only serves as an important supportive measure, but also helps in maintaining the elasticity of the skin while losing weight.

Suggested Therapy

The art of losing weight hinges on never letting the patient experience a feeling of hunger because most overweight people, after many diets, are afraid of hunger.

• Dry cupping on the abdomen, in the lumbar region, in the crease between the thigh and buttock.

• As basic regulation, treatment initially occurs two to three times per week, with a course of treatment lasting 4–6 weeks.

• Afterwards, treatment occurs once a week over 6 weeks. Following this, one treatment every 2 weeks for a long period of time, to maintain the effect.

• Continuing treatment is extremely important for maintaining the achieved stimulation of the regulatory cycle and for allowing the therapist to supervise continuously and direct the progress in losing weight.

Only gold members can continue reading. Log In or Register to continue