At the 2023 European Congress on Obesity, a wide range of experts shared research on ways to tackle the obesity epidemic. Here are three ideas presented as ways to contribute towards living a healthier lifestyle.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture, the 3,000-year-old practice where skin is traditionally punctured by needles, may be of help to those looking to lose a few pounds.
A Japanese study concluded that ear acupuncture could significantly aid weight loss, with researchers claiming the method could stimulate nerves and organs that help to control food cravings.
The study involved 81 Japanese men living with obesity aged between 21 and 78, who were given a type of ear acupuncture that attaches tiny metal beads to six points on the outer ear.
All were given advice on diet during hospital visits and asked to keep a diet diary, while reducing their total food intake by half during three months of treatment.
The study found that, on average, participants lost 10.4cm off their waist circumference (from an average of 98.4cm to 88cm) and 4% of total body fat (from an average of 28.2% to 24.3%).
Dr Takahiro Fujimoto, the study’s author, said the findings demonstrated that acupuncture on the ear may aid weight loss when paired with diet and exercise.
“It’s likely that acupuncture has a positive effect by curbing cravings and appetite, improving digestion and boosting metabolism,” he added.
Cold exposure
Exposing yourself to cold in the mornings to the point of shivering may aid in weight loss, but more so for men.
A preliminary study by Dr Mariëtte Boon suggested cold exposure in the morning may be more effective at boosting metabolism and burning fat than in the evening.
In the study, 24 men and women underwent cold water exposure in the mornings and evenings. The results found that, for men, cold-induced energy expenditure was higher in the mornings than in the evenings. For women, however, it made little difference whether the cold exposure was early or late in the day.
For those looking to try cold exposure, Boon suggested starting with cold showers in the morning.
“If it’s cold showers, I would usually recommend to start with the first time just 20 seconds, and not with the head,” Boon says. “The next day, 30 seconds, and then build it up to 90 seconds. I think 90 seconds is quite a long time, and I don’t think it’s necessary to go any longer.
“If you do the ice baths, or the winter swim, also build it up. And if you notice afterwards that you had difficulty warming up, it was a sign that it was too long or too cold for you,” she added.
Weight-loss balloons
Rather than undergoind gastric surgery – an invasive weight-loss treatment in which your stomach is made smaller – swallowable gastric balloons have been developed and proven to be an effective weight-loss treatment.
The gastric balloon is swallowed like a pill, but has a long thin tube attached. Ultrasound is used to determine when the balloon is in place in the stomach, and it is then filled with water through the tube. The tube then detaches and is pulled back up the throat and out of the mouth.
Unlike gastric surgery, the balloon is a temporary measure. After 16 weeks, it bursts in the stomach, the water is released and the balloon itself is excreted.
A study, which looked at 181 adults living with obesity, included participants receiving the balloon as well as being prescribed the weight-loss drug liraglutide. The results found that, on average, patients lost almost three-quarters (74%) of their excess body weight.
