“Do you gain weight just by drinking cold water? Are you exercising hard but not losing weight?” Perhaps you have been using the wrong method from the start! The classic TCM text, Huangdi Neijing (The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine), categorizes obesity into five major types. Blind dieting may lead to further deficiency! Today, we will use ancient wisdom to decode your “obesity code”!
1. Obesity in TCM: Not Excess Fat, but Body “Imbalance”
📜 Millennia of Theoretical Origins
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Ancient Text Records: The earliest terms for obesity included “fat person” (脂人), “greasy person” (膏人), and “obese person” (肥人). The Huangdi Neijing states, “Obesity is a disease caused by excessive consumption of rich foods.”
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Core Pathogenesis: Deficiency with Excessive Signs (Spleen, Stomach, and Kidney Deficiency + Phlegm-Dampness and Blood Stasis)
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Five Causes of Obesity: ▶️ Aging leads to decreased metabolism▶️ Congenital constitution prone to phlegm-dampness▶️ Greasy diet harms the Spleen and Stomach▶️ Emotional depression causes Qi stagnation▶️ Sedentary lifestyle leads to blood stasis
Key Insight: TCM weight loss is not merely about “losing weight” but about regulating organ functions and restoring the balance of Qi and Blood!
2. Self-Assessment Table for Five Obesity Types: Identify Your Type to Find the Root Cause
(✅ If you meet more than 3 criteria, targeted regulation is necessary)
1. Stomach Heat and Qi Stagnation Type – The “Fire Fatty” Who Eats a Lot but is Constipated
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Characteristics: Strong appetite, easily hungry, dry and hard stools
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Accompanying Symptoms: Dry mouth, bitter taste, craving cold drinks, red tongue with yellow coating
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TCM Interpretation: Excessive Stomach Heat consumes Yin fluids, leading to food stagnation and heat transformation
2. Phlegm-Dampness Accumulation Type – The “Edema Type” Who Gains Weight Just by Drinking Water
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Characteristics: Heavy body, oily face, sticky stools
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Accompanying Symptoms: Chest tightness, drowsiness, reluctance to drink water, swollen tongue with white greasy coating
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TCM Interpretation: Spleen deficiency leads to poor transformation and transportation, causing dampness to accumulate into phlegm
3. Qi Stagnation and Blood Stasis Type – The “Blocked Fatty” Who Gains Weight from Stress or Menstrual Irregularities
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Characteristics: Emotional depression, menstrual blood clots, dull skin
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Accompanying Symptoms: Insomnia with vivid dreams, purple extremities, tongue with stasis spots
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TCM Interpretation: Liver Qi stagnation leads to poor blood circulation and toxin accumulation
4. Spleen Deficiency and Poor Transportation Type – The “Lazy Fatty” Who is Weak and Edematous
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Characteristics: Edema in limbs, abdominal distension after meals, loose stools
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Accompanying Symptoms: Shortness of breath, fatigue, tooth-marked tongue, weak pulse
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TCM Interpretation: Spleen and Stomach weakness cannot metabolize food, leading to nutrient waste
5. Spleen and Kidney Yang Deficiency Type – The “Ice Block Type” Who is Cold and Fearful of Cold
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Characteristics: Cold hands and feet, sore lower back and knees, frequent nighttime urination
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Accompanying Symptoms: Decreased libido, pale tongue with white coating, deep and thin pulse
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TCM Interpretation: Insufficient Kidney Yang cannot warm the body, leading to fat accumulation for warmth
3. Targeted Regulation Guidelines: Eat, Massage, and Move in Three Ways
Dietary Regulation
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Stomach Heat and Qi Stagnation: Cold Bitter Melon Salad + Honeysuckle Tea (Clear Stomach Heat)
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Phlegm-Dampness Accumulation: Aged Tangerine Peel and Job’s Tears Porridge + Fried White Lentils (Eliminate Dampness and Phlegm)
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Qi Stagnation and Blood Stasis: Rose and Hawthorn Tea + Black Fungus (Move Qi and Activate Blood)
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Spleen Deficiency and Poor Transportation: Yam and Lotus Seed Soup + Millet and Pumpkin Porridge (Strengthen Spleen and Stomach)
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Spleen and Kidney Yang Deficiency: Lamb and Ginger Soup + Walnuts (Warm Kidney Yang)
Acupoint Massage
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General Weight Loss Points: Zusanli (足三里) (Strengthen Spleen and Stomach), Fenglong (丰隆) (Transform Phlegm and Dampness)
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Type-Specific Enhancements: For Qi Stagnation, massage Tai Chong (太冲); for Yang Deficiency, moxibustion at Guan Yuan (关元)
Exercise Recommendations
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Phlegm-Dampness/Yang Deficiency Type: Ba Duan Jin (八段锦), jogging (light sweating is sufficient)
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Qi Stagnation and Blood Stasis Type: Dancing, badminton (Soothe Liver and Release Stagnation)
4. Three Major Misconceptions Warning
❌ All Obesity Should Consume Red Beans and Job’s Tears → Those with Yang Deficiency may become more deficient!❌ Blindly Using Moxibustion for Weight Loss → Stomach Heat and Qi Stagnation type may worsen!❌ Relying on Weight Loss Tea for Bowel Movements → Those with Spleen Deficiency may worsen diarrhea!
The essence of TCM weight loss is to bring the body back to a balanced state of “absorbing what should be absorbed and excreting what should be excreted.”