Obesity — TCM Food Therapy & Dietary Approach

Obesity refers to a condition in which excessive calorie intake leads to increased body fat so that body weight exceeds the standard by 20% or more.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Patterns

In TCM, this condition is differentiated into several patterns, each with a classical herbal formula:

Stomach Heat with Stagnant Fire

Treatment principle: Clear the Stomach and Purge Fire, Assisted by Promoting Digestion

Formula: Baihu Tang (White Tiger Decoction); Xiao Chengqi Tang (Minor Order the Qi Decoction)

Internal Exuberance of Phlegm-Damp

Treatment principle: Resolve Phlegm and Drain Damp, Regulate Qi and Reduce Fat

Formula: Daotan Tang (Guide Out Phlegm Decoction) — from *Formulas to Aid the Living*; Siling San (Four-Ingredient Poria Powder)

Qi Depression with Blood Stasis

Treatment principle: Regulate Qi and Resolve Depression, Activate Blood and Resolve Stasis

Formula: Xuefu Zhuyu Tang (Blood Mansion Stasis-Expelling Decoction) — from *Corrections of Errors in Medical Classics*

Spleen Deficiency with Failure to Transport

Treatment principle: Fortify the Spleen and Boost Qi, Percolate and Drain Water-Damp

Formula: Shenling Baizhu San (Ginseng, Poria and Atractylodes Macrocephala Powder) — from *Formulary of the Bureau of the People's Welfare Pharmacies*; Fangji Huangqi Tang (Stephania and Astragalus Decoction)

Spleen-Kidney Yang Deficiency

Treatment principle: Supplement the Spleen and Kidney, Warm Yang and Transform Qi

Formula: Zhenwu Tang (True Warrior Decoction) — from *Treatise on Cold Damage*; Linggui Zhugan Tang (Poria, Cinnamon Twig, Atractylodes and Licorice Decoction) — from *Synopsis of the Golden Chamber*

These formulas are for reference under TCM syndrome differentiation and should only be used under the guidance of a qualified practitioner.

Food Therapy & Diet

Dietary Therapy Recipes

Winter melon braised with shiitake: winter melon 250g, soaked shiitake mushrooms 50g. Cut the winter melon into small cubes, soak and cut the shiitake; heat oil in a wok, add the winter melon, shiitake and the soaking water, braise for a few minutes, season with salt and MSG until cooked.
Coix and red bean porridge: coix seed (yimi) 50g, adzuki bean (chixiaodou) 50g, alisma (zexie) 10g. First decoct the alisma to get the juice, then cook the adzuki beans and coix with the juice into porridge.
Chicken shred winter melon soup: chicken breast 200g, winter melon 200g, codonopsis (dangshen) 3g. Shred the chicken, put with the dangshen in a clay pot and stew on low heat until 80% cooked, add winter melon slices, season with salt, rice wine and MSG.
Three-flower slimming tea: rose flower, bitter orange flower (daidaihua), jasmine flower, ligusticum (chuanxiong) and lotus leaf in equal parts. Grind into coarse powder and pack in filter paper bags, steep in boiling water for 10 minutes and drink as tea.
Chrysanthemum-hawthorn-cassia drink: chrysanthemum 10g, raw hawthorn slices 15g, cassia seed 15g. Crush the cassia seeds and decoct with the chrysanthemum and hawthorn in water, drink as tea.

Understanding the Condition

Obesity refers to a condition in which excessive calorie intake leads to increased body fat so that body weight exceeds the standard by 20% or more. After age 30, the proportion of body fat rises, exceeding 25% of body weight in men and 30% in women. By cause, obesity is divided into simple obesity and secondary obesity; the former is mostly due to excessive dietary energy, while the latter can result from hypothalamic or endocrine disorders. Mild obesity often has no symptoms, while moderate to severe obesity can cause shortness of breath after activity, palpitations, increased appetite, and difficulty moving, and is often accompanied by hyperlipidemia, atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, diabetes, and gallstones, making it a common and frequently occurring disease that threatens the health and longevity of older adults. The most important preventive measures for obesity are, first, to keep up regular physical exercise to increase energy expenditure, and second, to control diet so that, while meeting the body's basic needs for protein and other nutrients, a negative energy balance is created and body weight gradually falls back to the standard.

This content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.