If you are concerned with your weight, you are not alone. Two thirds of US adults are reported to be overweight and one third are clinically obese.

Weight control is a complex matter involving not only biology but also life style. Researchers have made tremendous progress over the years on what and how molecules interplay in our body to regulate weight. However, any weight loss drug that is based on the knowledge is at least 5 years down the road.

Miracle weight loss drugs do not yet exist. The last weight loss prescription drugs approved by FDA are Meridia in 1997 and Xenical in 1999. Meridia works by creating a feeling of fullness and thus reducing food intake, but it is linked to increases in blood pressure and heart rate. Xenical can block the fat absorption, but it causes diarrhea and bloating. A new weight loss drug called Acomplia is under FDA review for approval. It causes 5-10% of weight loss in most participants after 1 year. However, it is linked to depression, vomiting and nausea in 20% patients.

Various diet programs like low fat diets and low carb diets may reduce weight according to several studies. However, such diets are unbalanced in nutrition and long term uses may cause depletion of certain essential nutrients and harm the body. It is noteworthy that the low carb diet pioneer Arkins just declared bankrupt on August 2005.

Herbs are commonly used for weight loss as well. The most famous herb is ephedra (Ma Huang in Chinese). It belongs to a metabolism stimulant and is blamed for causing heart valve problems in numerous cases, which led to the ban by FDA. The popular Metabolife who used to sell ephedra eventually got bankrupt on July 2005.

Although ephedra is a Chinese herb, it is very important to know that traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) have never used it for weight loss as a single herb. Instead, it has been used in combination with other herbs in herbal formulas to deal with health concerns other than obesity. Historically, obesity had not been a major concern of TCM because obesity was not a big social and medical problem in China (and in the world) in the past.

As obesity becomes epidemic, people turned to TCM for herbal remedies that may control weight or reduce weight. TCM contains thousands of Chinese herbs and herbal formulas and theories based on the ancient Chinese philosophy of Yin-Yang and Five Elements. It states that a healthy body results from a harmonic balance and interaction of Yin-Yang and each organ function etc. For example, food intake is followed by digestion, adsorption, and discharge. An imbalance of the process may retain or deposit an excess of fat, water, and food residues in the body and thus weight gain occurs.

Numerous Chinese herbs and Chinese herbal formulas may act to restore the balance. The most commonly recommended one is Fang Feng Tong Sheng San, a famous herbal formula invented over 800 years ago for dispelling pathogenic wind from the body surface in TCM's term. In recent years, studies found it is an effective Chinese herbal remedy for weight loss. It increases metabolism, induces sweating, reduces swelling, purges the food stagnation. As most Chinese medicines, the formula contains multiple herbs for synergistic action of positive ingredients and for reduction of any possible side effects of single herbs. The formula originally contains ephedra as an ingredient.

Weitaless^TM (Jia Wei Fang Feng Tong Sheng Wan) we have is an enhanced formula from the original Fang Feng Tong Sheng San (Wan) and is more adapted for weight loss. It removed ephedra and several other herbs that may cause side effects if used inappropriately, but included several herbs such as hawthorn for enhanced action in weight loss.

Weitaless^TM is suitable for those who are overweight with an expanded waistline, with good appetite, and with the tendency of hypertension. It works mildly and gradually to adjust your weight. This is in contrast to fast weight loss which is often associated with side effects because the functions of the body is not adjusted properly at the same time.

It should be stressed that while Weitaless^TM helps weight loss life style adjustments such as diet and exercises remain crucial in achieving the goal of weight control.

All Chinese Herbs we carry are 100% natural herbal remedies. They are time-tested and safe, with no pharmaceuticals, no sugar, no preservatives, no artifical colors.

by X. Li, Ph. D.