A Study of Traditional Chinese Medicine Body Constitution Associated with Overweight, Obesity, and Underweight.

Mihui Li,Shuming Mo,Yubao Lv,Jingcheng Dong,Zihui Tang

doi:10.1155/2017/7361896

Abstract

Objective The aim of the study was to investigate the associations among the nine types of body constitution in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with the outcomes of overweight, obesity, and underweight. Method Participants aged 30 to 90 years were recruited from communities in Shanghai and assessed using a self-administered questionnaire pertaining to their demographics, lifestyles, and self-reported medical history. The data of 3748 participants with complete information was available for the analysis. Multinomial logistic regression (MLR) analysis was performed to determine the associations among the TCM constitution variables and the health outcomes. Results The standards of classification and determination of the constitution in TCM were used to gauge the patients' constitution type. MLR revealed independent and significant associations among the Qi_Deficient and Yang_Deficient groups with the outcomes of overweight, obesity, and underweight (P < 0.10 for all). MLR revealed independent and significant associations among the Qi_Deficient and Yang_Deficient groups with the outcomes of overweight, obesity, and underweight (P < 0.05 for all). Conclusion Our study revealed significant negative correlations between the Qi_Deficient and Yang_Deficient groups with the outcomes of overweight, obesity, and underweight. On the other hand, positive correlations were found between Phlegm_Dampness and the outcomes of overweight and obesity.

Highlights

The systematic constitutional theory of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) was proposed, and improvements have been made to it gradually
The standards pertaining to the classification and determination of the constitution in TCM were issued by the China Association for Traditional Chinese Medicine
Significant differences were reported in weight, age, and drinking habits and the prevalence of HTN, diabetes mellitus (DM), and metabolism syndrome (MetS) among the four groups categorized by body mass index (BMI)

Summary

Introduction

The systematic constitutional theory of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) was proposed, and improvements have been made to it gradually. The standards pertaining to the classification and determination of the constitution in TCM were issued by the China Association for Traditional Chinese Medicine. The body mass index (BMI), which is derived from the mass and height of an individual, is an attempt to quantify the amount of tissue mass in an individual and categorize that person as being underweight, overweight, obese, or of normal weight. Obesity is a leading preventable cause of death worldwide [3] and is associated with various health issues, cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), certain types of cancer, and asthma [3, 4]. Underweight is considered unhealthy and is an established risk factor for osteoporosis, even among young people [8]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion