Evidence-based Clinical Chinese Medicine - Volume 27: Overweight And Obesity In Adults

Book excerpt: The 27th volume of the Evidence-based Clinical Chinese Medicine series examines the management of people who are overweight and obese with Chinese medicine using a 'whole evidence' approach. Overweight and obesity are recognised as leading health concerns worldwide. They have significant impacts on quality of life and mortality and are associated with many complications and chronic illnesses, including diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, stroke and some cancers. Conventional medicine understanding of weight gain, including common causes, diagnosis and treatment are included, along with the Chinese medicine conceptualisation of overweight and obesity.Evidence from clinical studies is reviewed using internationally accepted scientific methods. Systematic reviews describe the treatments used in clinical studies, and analyse the effectiveness of Chinese herbal medicines, acupuncture and related therapies, other Chinese medicine therapies, and combinations of Chinese medicine therapies. Experimental studies that describe the potential mechanisms of action of key herbs are summarised. The final chapter synthesises the current evidence and offers suggestions for contemporary clinical practice and future research.This book is a handy desktop reference for both clinicians and students of Chinese and integrative medicine. It provides a comprehensive synthesis of both traditional and contemporary knowledge that can inform clinical decision-making.