Effect of body and ear acupuncture on obesity

Obesity has known as a global health problem inducing hypertension, dyslipidemia and cardiovascular disease, and also can affect the health quality of life. Although, current methods including diet, exercise, medicine, and surgery are mainly used to treat the obesity, acupuncture is widely used in clinical practice because it is economical, safe and straightforward. Two types of such methods including Body electro-acupuncture and auricular acupuncture have revealed considerable effects on various factors related to obesity, however, their effects are not the same. The present review has perused the changes in some key factors of obesity result from both types of acupuncture and also has compared body electro with auricular acupuncture in their effectiveness on main factors of obesity as anthropometric indices, lipid profile, leptin hormone, blood pressure and inflammatory markers. Our study indicated that hip circumference and body weight are more decreased by auricular acupuncture, while body acupuncture can be more effective in waist circumference reducing. Also, the effects of body acupuncture on immune markers and lipid profile are more significant than auricular acupuncture. Both diet and exercise can affect positively the acupuncture treatments of obesity thus dietary and/or physical intervention are useful to achieve better results. Also, the period of study plays an important role to treat chronic problems as obesity and it should be considered in future research. •The association between acupuncture (Body electro acupuncture and auricular acupuncture) and obesity and profile lipids.•Combinations of acupuncture with diet and exercise seem to be necessary to achieve and maintain weight loss.•Both auricular and electro acupuncture have beneficial effects on obesity and decrease the level of inflammatory factors.•Auricular acupuncture was related to a greater improvement in lipid profile, BMI, immune parameters and blood pressure.