Monday, May 10, 2004  Denver Post

Margaret Kaylor was just tagging along last fall while her husband underwent acupuncture for allergies in Aurora. The weight-loss brochure in the waiting room caught her eye.

"I thought I'd have a little go at that," she says. Eight weekly treatments later she was 10 pounds lighter, and could only credit the acupuncture.

The ancient Chinese practice is widely known for pain relief, but some now believe it can help with weight loss.

Dr. Mike Kim treated Kaylor. He says the tiny needles used in acupuncture make patients pass excess water and waste and then open up the flow of energy to speed fat burning.

"It actually boosts the metabolism so that it's at a higher rate," he says.

Kaylor, who is 65 and lives in Littleton, says she sometimes fell into the habit of snacking while watching TV. But during each session with Kim, he taped tiny "ear seeds" onto three or four positions around her earlobes. Kim told her to push on them when cravings hit.

"That I thought was the best part. That really did work," says Kaylor.

A recent trip back home to England ("I was more than naughty!") put a few pounds back on, but Kaylor still believes that acupuncture works.

"The only thing that's stopping me from going back is the expense," she says.

Kim says that people can expect to lose about a pound per 30-minute session. Many acupuncturists ask for a 10-session commitment, with the price of each visit ranging from $50 to $100.

Kim says the most weight he has seen someone lose through acupuncture is about 70 pounds.

Other acupuncturists are more cautious about setting expectations for success.

Anna Tsang has practiced in Littleton for seven years, and she is academic dean at the Colorado School of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

She says that patients must follow guidelines, including diet and exercise, to experience success.

"And the nice part about it is, it's not just about losing weight. It's treating the root cause of the weight problem." She cites metabolic problems, emotional issues and stress as potential causes that acupuncture can address.

Another local acupuncturist who is also a medical doctor believes that acupuncture can suppress hunger and increase the body's metabolism of foods. But Dr. Mimi Wong, who practices in Wheat Ridge, says she would recommend acupuncture for weight loss only in conjunction with diet and exercise. "It's not a panacea, it's not a cure-all," Wong says

By Jinah Kim and Demetria Gallegos 9News

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