Abstract
Objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate the progress of weight and waist circumference(WC) through oriental obesity treatment and clarify the correlation between weight loss and WC change. Methods The subjects were treated from January 2007 to September 2009 in J Oriental Medical Center. Herbal medicine, electroacupuncture, oriental obesity physiotherapy were performed for a month. We checked the change of weight and WC at every treatment. We classified the WC into upper, middle, lower parts specifically and measured them individually. Measurements were analyzed by using one-way repeated measures ANOVA and we also investigated correlation between weight loss and WC change. Results (1) During the first and second treatment sessions, the weight loss was the highest, $0.96{\pm}0.86\;kg$($1.46{\pm}1.32\;%$) and during the 5th and 6th treatment sessions, the lowest $0.37{\pm}0.616\;kg$. The final weight loss was $3.71{\pm}1.476\;kg$($5.51{\pm}2.12\;%$). (2) After 8 treatment sessions, the reductions of upper, middle and lower WC were $3.59{\pm}2.26\;%$, $5.93{\pm}2.75\;%$, $5.51{\pm}3.22\;%$, respectively. As the patients received more treatment, there was a progressive decline in the variation of weight and middle WC. However, the decline rate of upper and middle WC fluctuated during the treatments, forming a W-shaped curve. (3) Analysis of the correlation between the weight loss and WC change shows that the reduction of middle WC was most closely associated with the weight loss. Conclusions This study indicated that the rate of weight loss and WC reduction showed stagnation during the 5th and 6th treatment sessions, and the reduction of middle WC was most closely associated with the weight loss. Since the progress of weight and WC change is an important field of research on obesity, further systemic studies would be needed for the foundation of a clinical guideline.