The United States is suffering from a plague. The American Heritage Dictionary defines a plague as a widespread affliction or calamity, especially one seen as divine retribution. Normally, we attribute a plague as something that implies scarcity, squalor and poverty. However, in the US, the plague stems from overabundance of food, a blessing divinely bestowed graciously to this country but terribly abused by its mortal inhabitants. The Center for Disease Control estimates that in 2009, roughly 30% of the US population is obese, not overweight, but obese. Obesity is a major problem since it often leads to health issues like cardiovascular disease, certain types of cancer and diabetes mellitus.
Many researchers and doctors like Dr. John Briffa and Dr. Russell Blayolock have attributed Monosodium Glutamate or MSG for the propensity of people to overeat. According to them, in layman’s term, MSG somehow “tricks” the brain to make the body unsated after an intake of food by a person or animal that would otherwise be enough to satisfy their hunger. Whatever its cause, being obese or overweight causes a person to suffer not only health wise but psychologically and emotionally, as well.
Among the more popular weight loss programs is acupuncture Overland Park treatment. The more people accumulate weight, the more it is difficult for them to muster energy to rid of the body’s excess calories. Acupuncture raises the body‘s energy levels compelling the person the need to exercise. It also lightens up the body so the body experiences less pain when exercising. Acupuncture also lessens food craving as the chi flow helps set the body’s energy and metabolic level optimally checking and regulating the body’s inordinate desire of eating too much.
To treat obesity, ear acupuncture is used. Five needles are placed in each ear, four for the kidneys, lungs, nervous system and liver and one for the release of tension. The reason the ear is chosen for treatment of obesity is that it is strongly connected to the central nervous system and many of the meridians dealing with various kinds of addiction connect through it. The needle that is responsible for tension release enables the release of endorphins to counteract the person’s food addiction and mitigates the person’s appetite.
Besides the ear, acupuncture points to the mouth, stomach, spleen and other topical points in the body that relate to the physiological and psychological aspects of the disorder are also applied. The shenmen point, located in the triangular fossa of the ear, has meridians connected to the neuropsychoemotional aspect of the brain and is believed to help with apprehension, fear and anxiety; traits all persons with one form of addiction or another possess. This is also the point where the aforementioned fifth needle is placed, primarily to calm the central nervous system by helping in the release of endorphins.