A RANDOMIZED PLACEBO-CONTROLLED CLINICAL-TRIAL OF AN ACUPRESSURE DEVICE FOR WEIGHT-LOSS

OBJECTIVE: To provide a randomized placebo-controlled trial to determi ne the efficacy of an auricular acupressure DESIGN: Subjects were rand omly assigned to either treatment or placebo, The treatment group rece ived the acupressure device and were instructed to use the device in t heir dominant ear, The placebo group received an acupressure device fo r their wrist. Participants were followed for 12 weeks. SETTING: Outpa tient core of the New York Obesity Research Center. SUBJECTS: 96 obese adult volunteers, 80 females and 16 males, between 19 and 70 years of age. MEASUREMENTS: Weight, body fat, and blood pressure measured ever y two weeks. RESULTS: All subjects combined lost, on average, 0.96 kg, There was no significant difference between the two groups on weight loss (mean wt loss = 1.28 [s.d. = 2.74] kg for treatment and 0.63 [s.d . = 3.26] kg for placebo) regardless of whether all subjects were exam ined or only the most compliant subjects were examined, Similarly, the re were no significant differences between the two groups regarding fa t loss or blood pressure reduction. CONCLUSION: The acupressure device appears to be a safe device (did not cause any harmful side effects). However, it did not promote significantly greater weight or fat loss, or declines in blood pressure than placebo.