Yes you read that right!
Have you ever had ear acupuncture?
We frequently discuss auricular acupuncture as being a small but powerful form of acupuncture. So powerful, in fact, lots of acupuncturists refuse to do it on pregnant women for fear that it will move too much qi (move that baby right out!), and entire treatments can be done with just your ears. This is why it came as no surprise to me when I read this research paper (link here, additional study here) touting the weight loss benefits of auricular acupuncture.
In a randomized controlled clinical trial, 91 subjects were divided into 3 groups. One group received sham acupuncture, one received a one acupuncture point treatment, and one received a complete weight loss acupuncture protocol with 5 points. After 8 weeks the two groups that received acupuncture had an overall reduction in BMI (5.7% for those receiving the 1 point treatment, and 6.1% for those receiving 5 points) over the control group.
Auricular acupuncture works by helping to control cravings and stabilize metabolism. If you're looking to lose a few pounds be sure to mention it to your acupuncturist!