TCM hospital sets up multidisciplinary facility for weight management, obesity

The Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine affiliated with Capital Medical University established a multidisciplinary clinical facility for weight management and obesity on Monday amid the national efforts to address excess weight.

Yang Guowang, vice-president of the hospital and head of the hospital's surgery department, said the new facility brings together specialists in the fields of acupuncture, endocrinology, nutrition, surgery, psychiatry and health management, with a focus on delivering services that integrate Western and traditional Chinese medicine therapies.

Last year, China launched a three-year campaign aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles to combat the increasing rates of overweight and obesity. The National Health Commission has also recently announced to set up more weight management clinics to offer professional guidance to patients in need.

Yang highlighted the necessity for systematic management and interventions for obesity and overweight conditions, leading to the establishment of a comprehensive one-stop clinic at the hospital.

"The hospital has been delivering weight loss services for years, but we have found that the condition of obesity and overweight requires systematic management and interventions, and thus we have set up a one-stop clinic," he said.

Yang said the clinic will provide comprehensive services including identifying constitution of the patient based on the TCM principle, carrying out medical tests, providing nutritional and exercise guidance, administering TCM therapies, and offering lifestyle advice for daily living.

Acupuncture, one of the most popular and common TCM therapies, have unique strengths in aiding weight loss, said Li Bin, vice-president of the hospital and head of its acupuncture department. 

Li said that acupuncture can help curb hunger and reduce cravings for unhealthy foods, improve mental state of overweight patients and regulate bowel movement.

To address rebound weight gain, Li said that TCM specialists can also prescribe TCM concoctions alongside other treatments to help patients maintain a stable weight.