Canadians are overweight! At least about 11 million Canadians are overweight today. One of North Americans fastest growing diseases is, in fact, obesity. Being overweight can contribute to or complicate factors in such conditions as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and many other medical conditions. Millions of dollars are spent each year by the weight loss industry offering the latest, greatest diet, eating regimen, exercise plan and club that they promise will help you lose weight.

A healthy diet and exercising are both recommended for losing weight, achieving and maintaining a healthy weight and enhancing overall health and sense of well-being. Acupuncture can be a vital component of your weight loss regimen by assisting in reducing your appetite without drugs or prepackaged diets.

In order for your Acupuncturist to successfully treat you, it will need to be determined if your extra weight is caused by poor eating habits, lack of physical activity, is stress related, or due to a combination of factors. After all contributing factors are assessed, your Acupuncturist will formulate a customized treatment plan and program to meet your needs and accomplish your goals.

An ancient form of Chinese medicine, Acupuncture dates back over 6,000 years. Acupuncture relied upon a standardized body map of energy pathways in the body called meridians. Each of the pathways is linked to a primary organ serve as pathways for vital energy that maintains overall health in the body.

Information about your lifestyle and daily routines as well as your health history will be discussed at your first meeting with the Acupuncturist. Any medications you are currently taking and/or therapies you are undergoing will also be important information in order for the Acupuncturist to have a full picture of potential reasons for your excess weight and discuss how your lifestyle, health, and other factors impact your weight.

The success rate of Acupuncture for controlling weight has been very high. Acupuncture helps reduce your appetite and can help curb sugar and carbohydrate cravings. The acupuncture treatments also restore and repair blocked meridians thus enhancing your health, increasing your energy level and reducing anxiety and irritability, which will in turn help with improved sleep and overall sense of well-being.

The acupuncture treatments entail the insertion of hair-thin needles into acupoints, which are specific, mapped out points in the body selected to stimulate energy flow along the appropriate meridians in the body. The frequency and number of your visits that will be most beneficial for you will be determined your Acupuncturist, based on your response to treatments.

Acupuncture will certainly be a valuable tool to use in your weight loss journey. It cannot change your lifestyle, reduce the number of calories you consume or increase the amount of exercise you do. It can assist you though in appetite suppression, increased energy level and enhanced self-esteem.

Because of the high success rate of acupuncture in helping individuals control their weight, and it offers a treatment with no adverse side effects, acupuncture is an ideal choice for anyone striving to lose or maintain weight.