Best Healthy Habits To Adopt If You Gain Weight Easily

Are you the owner of a body type that tends to gain weight easily? This can be frustrating to deal with, especially if you see those around you achieve weight loss easier than you.

In fact, there are certain groups of people who are more likely to gain weight than others. This includes children, working women, and middle-aged men.

In this guide, we’ll provide weight loss tips for people who may gain weight quickly using Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) techniques.

Who is Most Likely to Gain Weight? 

These groups of individuals are known to be more susceptible to rapid weight gain: 

Children

According to the Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC), approximately 14.7 million children and adolescents (nearly 20% of American kids) were obese during 2017-2020.

One study found that obesity levels among American children have reached epidemic status. Over the past three decades, childhood obesity has doubled in children and tripled in adolescents.

Being obese as a child also means that you are more likely to be obese as an adult. Research shows that 80% of children aged 10 to 14 years, 25% of kids younger than 5, and 50% of kids aged 6 to 9 years are at risk of remaining obese as adults.

According to TCM, children can improve their physique and health through diet therapy or a Chinese medicine regimen. Generally, obese children have dysfunction of the Spleen-stomach digestive system, and most of them have qi (vital energy) deficiency and Phlegm Dampness. 

Herbal soups have multiple beneficial factors. In terms of Chinese patent medicine, Bu Qi Jian Zhong Pills can regulate children’s body constitution. A licensed TCM Physician will have to prescribe these pills and the efficacy of treatments will vary based on each individual.

Stay-at-home and working moms

Women tend to be at higher risk of weight gain. According to one study, women who stay home full-time with their kids are more likely to become obese and report poor health.

Researchers found that full-time homemakers were more likely to be obese (38%) than women who worked outside the home (23%). Stay-at-home moms were also twice as likely to report poor health.

However, research shows that working women are also prone to weight gain.

According to a 2012 study published in the International Journal of Obesity, women who work over 35 hours are more likely to experience weight gain. The researchers highlighted longer working hours as the main culprit, as the women have less time to maintain their health and fitness levels.

A 2019 study attributed weight gain to heavy pressures at work. The study proposed that the stress and a combination between job demands and responsibility at home may make it difficult for women to live healthily. 

Consume foods or beverages, such as pomegranate, that help lessen stress. A study on mice showed that pomegranate juice has excellent anti-anxiety and antidepressant properties. Furthermore, a TCM formula, Xiao Yao San, was discovered to have the same effect as antidepressants.

Similarly, Danggui, or Chinese Angelica, also has antidepressant effects and a balancing effect on the female hormonal system. However, Danggui is not recommended for pregnant women. Additionally, you can also use Bak Foong pills to help combat stress associated with menstruation and fluctuating hormone levels.

Middle-aged men

The levels of testosterone wane as men age. Low testosterone has been associated with increased fat mass and reduced lean mass in men. Men also tend to drink more alcohol. Excessive alcohol use has been linked to sleep disorders, which can increase the risk of obesity. 

How To Use TCM For Weight Reduction If You Gain Weight Easily

Since the main causes of weight gain are an unhealthy diet and physical inactivity, eating well and exercising are the two most obvious ways to lose those extra pounds. Besides eating well and exercising to counter unhealthy diets and physical inactivity, TCM also offers some holistic approaches to weight reduction. 

TCM believes that weight gain may be caused by two reasons. One is Spleen Qi Deficiency and Liver Qi Stagnation, which result in the formation of stagnant fluids, Dampness, and Phlegm in the body. The second is poor posture, which indicates a lack of core activation. When core muscles aren’t activated, there is less energy and fat burned. 

TCM’s methods in shedding weight gain center around eliminating the above two causes through: 

• Cupping
• Moxibustion
• Tuina
• Herbal formulas that strengthen Spleen qi and Liver qi, while also dispelling Dampness, stagnated fluids and Phlegm. These formulas include Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi, Chai Hu Shu Gan San, Xing Sha Ping Wei San, Wu Ling San, Ling Gui Zhu Gan Tang, Liu Mo Tang and Jian Pi Wan. There are also herbal supplements available to help you slim down, such as an herbal slimming drink. This can help boost metabolism, activate fat burning, and reduce appetite.
• Chiropractic care, which can make the body feel more comfortable when exercising and correct the core muscles.

Acupressure Can Help If You Gain Weight Easily

Applying pressure to certain acupoints can help with weight management. In a circular motion, massage these points in both clockwise and anticlockwise directions, then repeat for three minutes each.

Distal acupoints (located away from the origin of the problem; in this case, the abdomen) that can help with Spleen Qi Deficiency and Liver Qi Stagnation include: 

• He Gu (LI4)
• Zu San Li (ST36)
• Yin Ling Quan (SP9)
• Feng Long (ST40)
• Tai Chong (LV3)

Consulting a TCM physician prior to trying out any of the methods listed above is a must. Two persons with the same health condition might have different body constitutions and need different herbal concoctions. Moreover, only professionals can perform acupuncture safely and effectively.

Do you belong to one of the groups that can gain weight easily? Let us know how you manage your weight in the comments below.

This is an adaptation of an article, “4 Major Groups of People Who are Prone to Gaining Weight” that first appeared on the Health123 website.