USA Today: Acupuncture is used to treat many conditions. Is weight loss one?
UC expert says acupuncture alone won't help melt pounds away
People attempting to lose weight try a wide variety of methods, from various diets to supplements and exercise programs. But what about acupuncture? Acupuncture is a treatment rooted in Chinese medicine that entails a practitioner inserting fine needles into the skin to induce a therapeutic effect.
USA Today published a story on using acupuncture as a weight loss strategy, interviewing Derek Johnson, MEd, a licensed acupuncturist at the Osther Center for Integrative Health in the UC College of Medicine.
Acupuncture won’t directly cause you to lose weight, according to Johnson. “In my experience and to my knowledge, acupuncture isn’t going to be the magic bullet for weight loss,” he says. However, Johnson explains it can play a very significant role in weight loss through an indirect approach. He says that this is because acupuncture can improve metabolism, reduce cravings and mitigate stressors on the body that affect one’s appetite. He adds that acupuncture can also improve gastrointestinal issues.
Derek Johnson, MEd, of the Osher Center for Integrative Health at the UC College of Medicine/Colleen Kelley/UC Marketing + Brand
Studies suggest that acupuncture may help people lose weight. But, according to Healthline, research is inconclusive because there isn’t certainty on whether a client’s weight loss stems from the acupuncture treatment or their positive attitude that leads them to make healthy choices.
This positive attitude is something that Johnson stresses. “Acupuncture is only so strong,” he says. “It’s not going to make somebody who doesn’t want to do something all of a sudden do it.”
He explains that to see long-term changes in weight loss you need to commit to lifestyle changes. This includes changes in diet and exercise. Your acupuncturist can help you create a holistic treatment strategy that integrates lifestyle changes with acupuncture.
If you're having trouble committing to these lifestyle changes, acupuncture may also help with that. “If it’s one of those people whose kind of on the edge of it, they’re really wanting to, they’re trying but they’re having these roadblocks,” says Johnson, “that is a great candidate [for acupuncture].”
Lead photo/miljko/iStock
Next Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is classified as a Research 1 institution by the Carnegie Commission and is ranked in the National Science Foundation's Top-35 public research universities. UC's graduate students and faculty investigate problems and innovate solutions with real-world impact. Next Lives Here.
Related Stories
UC doctoral student shares his journey with Spectrum News
July 27, 2026
UC doctoral student Amota Ataneka spoke with Spectrum News about his educational journey. Ataneka, a native of the Pacific island nation of Kiribati, is one of 35 emerging scholars across the United States to win the National Academy of Education/Spencer Dissertation Fellowship.
How scammers can persuade you with AI
July 27, 2026
Spectrum News recently dove into how cloning voices with artificial intelligence is making it easier to scam people over the phone. The news outlet spoke with Kimberly Hyun, assistant professor of marketing at UC’s Lindner College of Business, to examine why AI is making it so much easier to trick people.
Decade of discovery
July 27, 2026
Every summer, UHP Discover has connected undergraduate students in the University Honors Program (UHP) to a unique array of opportunities in original interdisciplinary research. This year, the program celebrates its 10th anniversary.