Weight Management

Why So Many Still Struggle with Weight Despite $21 Billion Spent in 2024

In 2024, Americans spent $21.09 billion on weight-loss products and services — yet we still see overweight people everywhere. Why? Because most conventional approaches — drugs, surgeries, and trendy diets — simply don’t work in the long run.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), nearly 90% of overweight individuals have excessive damp qi, which causes water retention and mucus accumulation throughout the body. This imbalance disrupts digestion and brain function, triggering cravings for sugary, fried, and processed foods — and making portion control difficult.

Eating out frequently only adds to the problem. When you rely on restaurants and fast-food places, you essentially hand over control of your food choices and preparation to others. These hidden factors often contribute to weight gain without you realizing it.

The truth is simple: you are what you eat. Your health is in your own hands, and your kitchen is your most powerful medicine cabinet. Even simple porridges and teas can become your “magic switch” toward healthy weight management and vitality.

During my years as a high-stress high school teacher, I tried intermittent fasting — eating less but paradoxically gaining weight. Stress was one of the causes, but intermittent fasting showed no effect on me.  Now, by listening to my body’s true needs and nourishing it properly (without dieting), I’ve become slimmer, stronger, and more energized. When you’re not bound by restrictive diets, you feel more alive and enjoy food as it’s meant to be — and that’s how life should be, isn’t it?

One of my favorites is my Damp Qi-Diminishing Pearl Barley Porridge made with food-grade herbs. It makes the whole body feel lighter, clears the mind, lifts the mood.

Recently, I also used a dessert-like food remedy to stop one of my Tai Chi students’ dry coughs — it worked immediately, no cough drops or drugs needed.

I’m constantly amazed and empowered by what I’m learning on the Food and Food-Grade Cure TCM course I’m taking. I am thrilled to share these powerful natural remedies with all my clients.