Obesity results when the intake of a calories in the form of food exceeds their consumption in the form of physical activity. The excess of calories are stored in the form of fat in the adipose tissue. The most common cause of disparity between the intake and consumption of the calories is a reduction in the physical activities which occurs around the age of 40 to 60 years. Social customs, food faddism and psychological factors (eg. Failure to achieve) are also responsible for intake of more calories than required.

Disease states are sometimes responsible for obesity. Obesity is a feature of various endocrine diseases like Cushing’s Syndrome, Hypogonadism, Myxedema, Sheehan’s syndrome and hyperinsulinism. Diseases involving the hypothalamus (Brain tumors, encephalitis) may disturb the feeding centre and cause obesity.

The ill effects of obesity include predisposition to diabetes mellitus, hypertension and coronary artery disease, and occurrence of Pickwickian syndrome (hypoventilation and pulmonary heart disease due to rigid chest wall)

Obesity has been linked to a number of complications. If untreated for a prolonged period it can lead to:

Type 2 diabetes

Infertility

High blood pressure

Heart disease

Certain cancers (breast, colon, and endometrial)

Stroke

Gallbladder disease

Fatty liver disease

High cholesterol

Sleep apnoea and other breathing problems

Chronic lower back pain

Arthritis

Osteoarthritis, particularly of the knees

Studies on the effects of acupuncture application therapy on obesity, reported that acupuncture application in obesity treatment is effective in procuring weight loss. It can affect appetite, intestinal motility, and metabolism, as well as emotional factors such as stress.