The following paper
was Presented in the Second World Congress on Qigong, San Francisco, CA
November 1997 and Published by Kung Fu/Qigong Magazine, November 1998
BIGU AND
WEIGHT LOSS: QI AS A FOOD SOURCE
By: Dr. Qizhi Gao, D.O.M.,
Dipl. Ac & CH (NCCAOM)
In the medical literature,
obesity is referred to as a "multifactorial disorder". Defined (by the NIH) as
a body weight 20% or more above "desirable" weight. Over one third of adult
Americans are overweight. Perched at the center of chronic disease risk and
psychosocial disability for millions of Americans, successful management of
obesity offers unique patient care and public health opportunities. If all
Americans were to achieve a normal body weight, it has been estimated that
there would be a 3-year increase in life expectancy, 25% less coronary heart
disease, and 35% less congestive heart failure and stroke.
Unfortunately, obesity is
also one of the most difficult and frustrating disorders to manage
successfully. Primary care providers and patients expend significant effort on
this issue obtaining little benefit. Using standard treatments in university
settings, only 20% of patients lose 20 pounds at two year follow-up while only
5% of patients lose 40 pounds. This lack of clinical success has created a
never-ending demand for new weight loss treatments.
A truly comprehensive
program for weight loss mainly includes three parts: reducing caloric intake,
exercise, and behavior modification. The key point is reducing caloric intake.
output According to the first law of thermodynamics, change in weight equals
caloric intake, minus caloric output. Normally the purpose of exercise is to
increase the caloric output and the purpose of behavior modification is to
limit the caloric intake with self-control.
Based on the above
understanding, Bigu Qigong demonstrates its big advantage on weight loss. Bigu
translates literally as "avoid (bi) the grain (gu)". In practice it reflects
the ability to live solely on Qi without food. Bigu is a period during which
the Qigong practitioner’s vital energy transitions from the air one breaths and
the essence of food and water to drawing one’s sustenance strictly from the Qi
in the air. For the experienced Qigong practitioner, this is a natural process
that occurs when the accumulation of Qi reaches a certain level. The ability to
sustain normal body functions from Qi only is possible, with no change in one’s
daily routine and there are no side effects. Some Qigong practitioners can live
on the Qi, without food, for a long period of time oftentimes achieving and
sustaining a much higher energy level through the physical and mental
discipline of the bigu exercise. For weight loss, it combines reducing caloric
intake, exercise, and behavior modification.
One of the most elusive
principles of Qigong is quantifying Qi as a vital force. Scientific methods are
just beginning to define its nature objectively, thus, supporting what has been
experienced very profoundly on a more personal, subjective level. From the
broadest viewpoint, everything is a form of energy. Body energy has an anatomy
and physiology uniquely its own separate from the physical body. Despite the
basic difference of air and food in terms of vibratory function and complexity,
there is a homeostatic relationship between them in which one acts as a back-up
system for the other.
Bigu can be found in many
ancient Chinese texts, in individual legend and exercise methods to experience.
Here are a few examples.
A story from Bao Puzi’s
Inner Treaties said that: A man name Jian was hunting in the field when he fell
into a deep tomb in his early age. He was so hungry. Then he saw a big turtle,
its head moved up and down to swallow the air. Jian was told that a turtle is
good at Daoyin – Conducting Qi, he imitated the turtle’s movement. He did not
feel hungry any more until someone saved him one hundred days later. After that
he had the Bigu ability – living on the air without food. The emperor Wei did
not believe this and placed Jian in a room without food. One year later, Jian
was still full of energy and his face had a normal healthy color.
Wang Chong Lun Heng –Dao
Xue Pian from the Eastern Han dynasty, stated: "The people who live on Qi have
longevity, although they do not eat enough grain they are still full of
energy."
Among the historical
relics unearthed from the Han Tomb No. 3 at Mawangdui, Changsha, Hunan
Province, there was a silk book On Abandoning Food and Living on Qi and a silk
painting Daoyin Illustrations of the early Western Han Dynasty period (3rd
century B. C.). The former is a method of "inducing, promoting and conducting
Qi"; the latter displays 44 colored "Daoyin Illustrations in which training
exercises are painted.
As a Qigong practitioner,
I have personally experience Bigu twice. From July 20, 1993 until August 3,
1993, my daily diet consisted of a cup of juice or an orange. The first three
days were the most difficult as I continued to feel hungry. After the three-day
adjustment period, I was able to control my appetite and hunger with the Qigong
exercise and gradually increased my energy level as well.
During the two-week period
I continued my normal work routine and required less sleep than normal;
physically and mentally I felt very comfortable and relaxed. I lost a total of
ten pounds in two weeks and have never gained the weight back. I repeated the
same process for a two-week period in 1996 with similar results.
In June of 1996 I
conducted a two-week weight loss experiment with twelve subjects most of whom
had no previous Qigong experience. Subjects were initially taught two different
Qigong exercises: one to control appetite, one to increase energy level. These
exercises facilitated the body switching its primary nutrient source from food
to Qi. Each subject was encouraged to eat and drink only what the body
required. Emphasis was placed on the fact that this was not a deprivation study
but rather a study to demonstrate the body’s ability to derive sustenance from
sources other than food and in the process promote weight reduction.
At the conclusion of the
two-week study, there was a significant mean weight loss of 11.2 pounds (5.06
kg) (p<. 0001); mean weight loss per day was 0.9 pounds (0.41 kg). Energy
levels gradually increased over the two-week period with a concomitant
reduction of hunger. Food consumption was rated on a six-point scale with a six
representing three complete meals. Mean food consumption was rated fewer than
two for all days except Day 3 and Day 11. (See Table I).
There was a significant
increase in energy levels post exercise for nine of the 13 days (67%). Hunger
levels were significantly reduced ten of thirteen days (77%). Blood pressure
did not significantly change between pre and post measures.
Ten of the twelve subjects
lost a minimum of nine pounds during the fourteen day experiment; the two
subjects who lost less than nine pounds (3 and 4 respectively), both performed
the exercises less frequently and had a higher food consumption. All subjects
returned to normal eating habits within three days of terminating the exercise.
The results were presented at the Third World Conference on Medical Qigong.
Bigu Qigong is a safe and
effective method for weight loss, which uses the exercise to reduce caloric
intake under self-control; however, for the lay Qigong practitioner it is
necessary to have an experienced teacher to guide them. Bigu is a viable
protocol for long-term, sustained weight loss.
TABLE I: Hunger
and Fatigue levels evaluated before and after Qigong exercises and
significance of change.