Bizarre, new scientifically-proven way to help you lose weight trends now

For anyone looking to lose weight, this technique will leave you all ears.

Acupuncture, using tiny beads rather than needles, can take up to 10cm off your waistline when used on the ears, new research suggests.

With its roots in traditional Chinese medicine, beads or 'seeds' are attached to six points on the outer ear to stimulate nerves and organs which regulate appetite, satiety and hunger.

Those who used the technique managed to cut food intake by half for three months and substantially reduced weight, body mass index (BMI), and body fat.

The study involved 81 Japanese men, aged 21 to 78, who were overweight or obese, with an average BMI of 28.4 and high levels of unhealthy abdominal fat.

Each were weighed and measured at the start and end of treatment, including body weight, body fat percentage, fat mass, lean mass, muscle mass, BMI, and abdominal fat.

Known as auricular acupuncture, it was given using 1.5mm metal ear beads on six points of the outer ear— representing the food pipe, upper stomach opening, stomach, lungs and endocrine system.

Beads were taped to these points on both ears to ensure the participants were continuously receiving uniform pressure on each of the six acupuncture points, replaced twice a week during hospital visits.

Participants were asked to reduce their total food intake by half during the three months of their treatment and kept food diaries.

Researchers from Clinic F, Tokyo, Japan, found participants lost an average of 10.4cm off their waist circumference, shrinking from an average 98.4cm to 88cm.

They also lost 4 per cent of total body fat, typically from 28.2 per cent to 24.3 per cent according to research presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Dublin.

Measures of unhealthy abdominal body fat fell and BMI decreased by almost 3 points from 28.4kg/m² to 25.5 kg/m² on average.

Dr Takahiro Fujimoto, who led

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