Introduction
Talaia de Matos et al., 2021, in their article in the Journal of Experimental Pathology, conducted a randomized controlled trial to assess the effectiveness of weight and abdominal adiposity loss with Auricular Acupuncture (AA) among Portuguese women. The authors argue that the rate of failure for conventional weight loss treatments, such as physical exercises, drug, and diet therapy, is high for morbidly obese people, leading to long-term regression (Talaia de Matos et al., 2021). Therefore, the authors propose using AA as a complementary intervention in treating obesity.
The participants were randomly placed into one of three groups. The first group received treatment with vacaria seeds and diet therapy, and the second cluster was treated with semi-permanent needles (ASP) and a hypocaloric diet. The third team received only the hypocaloric diet without auriculotherapy. The results indicated that group two had a reduced waist circumference and weight height ratio than other groups. The authors then concluded that AA with ASP needles produces the best results on abdominal adiposity and weight loss.
The article’s strength is that it followed the ethical practices of research and had the approval of different institutional authorities. The researchers also obtained written consent from the participants. The authors also declare that the study adheres to CONSORT and STRICTA. However, the following weaknesses are present in the report, thus questioning the validity and reliability of the study. First, there are inconsistencies in the abstract and the body content concerning the sample size. The sample size on the abstract consists of 30 female participants, while the body indicates 69 participants, 49 women and 20 men (Talaia de Matos et al., 2021). The study does not also present the results for different genders. Furthermore, the small sample size for this study does not provide satisfactory results for extrapolation and general conclusions. The redesign of this study to include a large sample size representative of the general population would improve the outcomes. In addition, the sample should also include both genders to evaluate the effect of AA therapy on men.
Electroacupuncture (EA) On Visceral And Hepatic Fat In Women
Lei et al., 2017 examine the effects of Electroacupuncture (EA) on Visceral and Hepatic Fat in women. The authors argue that the most critical risk factors for women’s health are the Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and hepatic fat deposition. The authors also maintain that BMI and waist circumference are inadequate to assess EA’s effectiveness. Therefore, the article aims to investigate EA’s effect in reducing VAT volume and a hepatic fat fraction (HFF) through MRI.
The researchers conducted a randomized controlled test on a group of obese women in China. The research sample size included 30 women divided into two groups of 15 people (Lei et al., 2017). The control group received no treatment but maintained their everyday lifestyle. The treatment group had EA thrice a week for three months. The results showed a significant difference between the controlled and the treatment group. After three months of study, the treatment group exhibited lower BMI, waist circumference, VAT volume, and HFF. The authors conclude that EA treatment reduces Waist circumference, BMI, VAT volume, and HFF in women.
The article is consistent with its hypothesis and has a logical flow of ideas from the introduction to the conclusion. The article’s decision is also based on primary data collection and analysis. The data is reliable as it indicates actual measurements of the participants’ anthropogenic factors. The study’s weakness is that it included participants already attending acupuncture clinics. The cross-sectional image for assessment of VAT also may present false results as the fats may have redistributed to another area. The three months of the evaluation may not deliver accurate results on EA’s effects. There is a need for a large sample size of women to make a generalized conclusion. There is also a need for longer follow-ups, more than the three months of the participants.
Auricular Acupuncture on The Waist Circumference
Lillingston et al., 2019 conducted a randomized controlled trial to investigate the effect of Auricular Acupuncture on the waist circumference of overweight women. The authors argue that conventional weight loss procedures such as lifestyle change and dietary adjustments are not sustainable weight loss measures. The researchers also claim other interventions to control weight, such as acupuncture and AA, show mixed results and do not provide a conclusive impact. Therefore, the article’s aim by Lillingston et al., 2019 is to clarify the effects of using AA for weight loss.
The researchers conducted a randomized trial on patients to study measurable girth reduction, dietary choices, mood changes, and weight loss. The study used 58 women, where 30 received AA and 28 were treated with sham needles as a control group over seven weeks (Lillingston et al., 2019). The results demonstrated significantly reduced waist circumference for the participants treated with AA. However, the results showed no significant impact on weight loss and BMI. The findings also demonstrated mood improvement in all participants in the controlled group and AA treatment.
The article fails to deliver on its purpose to clarify the impact of AA on weight loss. The study also focuses on other variables such as mood, which are affected by other factors such as hormones and not only the AA treatment. The seven weeks used to conduct the research are short of a general conclusion on AA treatment. Therefore, to improve the accuracy and reliability of the results, there is a need for a study that takes more than seven weeks to assess weight loss among the participants. The improved mood among participants could also be due to the prospects of favorable results after AA treatment.
Conclusion
Obesity is a leading health risk factor related to severe morbidity and mortality as it associates with various illnesses such as hypertension and type 2 diabetes. Conventional treatments for obesity, such as lifestyle changes and dietary control, are unsustainable. Therefore, there is a need for other non-pharmacological interventions such as Auricular acupuncture. The articles reviewed continue to support the argument by Cayir, 2017 that auricular puncture is effective in reducing body weight. However, further investigation is needed to use a larger sample size and representative of the global population and over long periods to draw conclusive results on Auricular Acupuncture as an alternative approach to treating obesity in women and men.
References
Cayir, Y. (2017). The Effects of Auricular and Body Acupuncture in Turkish Obese Female Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial Indicated both Methods Lost Body Weight But Auricular Acupuncture was Better Than Body Acupuncture. Acupuncture and electro-therapeutics, 42, 1-10.
Lei, H., Chen, X., Liu, S., & Chen, Z. (2017). Effect of Electroacupuncture on Visceral and Hepatic Fat in Women with Abdominal Obesity: A Randomized Controlled Study Based on Magnetic Resonance Imaging. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 285-294.
Lillingston, F., Fields, P., & Waechter, R. (2019). Auricular Acupuncture Associated with Reduced Waist Circumference in Overweight Women-A Randomized Controlled Trial. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
Talaia de Matos, D., Santos, M. J., Moreira, A., Machado, J., & Vieira, A. (2021). Weight and Abdominal Adiposity Loss with Auricular Acupuncture – A Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Experimental Pathology.