The complex evolution of mixed obesity: a reversal strategy from a single symptom to multiple pathological features

There are many types of obesity, such as: water-dampness type obesity, stagnation type obesity, simple obesity, hyperphagia type obesity, qi deficiency type obesity, and so on. Which type of obesity do you have? Some people's obesity, at first glance, seems to resemble water-dampness type obesity, qi deficiency type obesity, and simple obesity. It's really difficult to distinguish. Actually, this is very common. It's not a problem of difficulty in differentiation, but rather that obesity often doesn't develop from a single type. Several types of obesity can absolutely occur simultaneously.

When there is more than one type of obesity, it is called "mixed obesity." As the saying goes, "treat illness early," therefore, we must prevent and treat obesity as early as possible. Most cases of obesity have relatively simple symptoms in their early stages. The body is still healthy, overall metabolism is relatively normal, and the endocrine system has not yet become disordered. With effort, deliberate and consistent weight loss, the success rate is quite high. However, if one relaxes or neglects the process, obesity can develop rapidly, evolving from a simple type to a complex type, and from a single type to a mixed type.

It's known that the simpler the type of obesity, the easier it is to lose weight; conversely, the more complex or mixed the type of obesity, the more difficult it is to lose weight. There are many types of mixed obesity. For example, some people are naturally fond of eating. As the saying goes, "Food is the first necessity of the people," and loving to eat isn't a sin. However, eating too much easily leads to weight gain. Obesity caused by excessive calorie intake and overnutrition is called "acquired obesity." When you eat too much, your digestive system can't keep up, which can easily lead to a large accumulation of food residue in the body, resulting in a large belly and causing stagnation-type obesity.

Overeating and overdrinking are really not good. Continuing to indulge your appetite will excessively deplete your pancreas, potentially leading to pancreatic obesity. If this condition progresses, it's truly worrisome, as pancreatic obesity can be a precursor to diabetes. Some people are born with deficiencies, including deficiency of lung qi, heart qi, spleen qi, and kidney qi. As the saying goes, "The lungs govern the qi of the whole body, and the heart governs the blood of the whole body." Deficiency of both qi and blood easily leads to qi deficiency-type obesity. Those with qi deficiency often have insufficient digestion and absorption, making it difficult to eliminate dampness, which can gradually lead to dampness-type obesity.

The longer dampness remains in the body, the more it can damage bodily functions, deplete vital energy, and harm kidney qi. This can lead to edema-type obesity. As vital energy declines, kidney qi deficiency worsens, potentially resulting in kidney-deficiency-type obesity. Traditional Chinese medicine considers obesity a disease of both deficiency and excess. "Deficiency" refers to insufficient vital energy and depletion of the body's protective qi; "excess" refers to the nature of obesity as phlegm and dampness. Because phlegm and dampness can rise and fall with qi, reaching everywhere, they form stagnant fat and turbidity, hindering the flow of qi and blood, obstructing meridians, and damaging vital energy and the body's protective qi.

This further impairs the normal physiological functions of the internal organs. Therefore, the more obese one becomes, the worse one's health becomes; the larger one's physique, the more one's vital energy is depleted, creating a vicious cycle. This leads to a continuous decline in vital energy and an increase in the accumulation of fat and impurities, making obesity increasingly difficult to eliminate. Having several types of obesity simultaneously is truly unfortunate. A weight loss plan should be started immediately. Because if left unchecked, obesity can lead to many diseases, such as: high blood pressure, heart disease, cerebral arteriosclerosis, diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease, sleep apnea, high cholesterol, high blood lipids, lower back pain, leg pain, knee pain, and other joint diseases.

In severe cases, obesity can be life-threatening; even mild cases can be extremely distressing. Therefore, don't let simple obesity become complex obesity, or a single type of obesity evolve into mixed obesity. Even if you already have mixed or complex obesity, don't be discouraged or depressed. Most diseases are reversible. Although obesity can be quite complex, there are ways to lose weight. In short, set a goal: reverse complex obesity back to simple obesity, and then from simple obesity back to a healthy body and a slim figure.