Here is the design of a clinical trial:

Official Title: Clinical Effect of Catgut Implantation at Acupoints for the Treatment of Simple Obesity: a Multicentre Randomized Controlled Trial

Included conditions:
- Obesity

Study Armgroups:
- {'label': 'Real catgut implantation', 'type': 'EXPERIMENTAL', 'description': 'Participants will receive real catgut implantation at acupoints plus lifestyle modification. Participants will receive catgut implantation treatment every two weeks to fulfill a 8-session treatment course.When the acupoints and surrounding skin are disinfected, an absorbable surgical suture of an appropriate length will be embedded into the muscular layer or subcutaneous tissue of the acupoints by the specified disposable embedding needles. The absorbable surgical suture then stimulated those points over a long period.', 'interventionNames': ['Device: Real catgut implantation at acupoints']}
- {'label': 'sham catgut implantation', 'type': 'SHAM_COMPARATOR', 'description': 'Participants will receive sham catgut implantation at acupoints and lifestyle modification every two weeks to fulfill a 8-session treatment course.The operation process will be similar to that applied in the real catgut implantation group. Empty needles without catgut will be pushed into the chosen position, to a depth equivalent to that used for catgut implantation at acupoints. The frequency and duration were the the same as the catgut embedding group.', 'interventionNames': ['Device: sham catgut implantation at acupoints']}

Interventions:
- {'type': 'DEVICE', 'name': 'Real catgut implantation at acupoints', 'description': "1. Absorbable surgical suture will be embedded in acupoints as below. Group A ：Zhigou (TE 6), Tianshu (ST25), Weishu (BL21), Zhongwan (CV12) and Zusanli (ST36); Group B ：Quchi (LI11), Huaroumen (ST24), Pishu (BL20), Shuifen (CV9), and Fenglong (ST40). Each group will be used alternatively and treated once every 2 weeks.\n2. lifestyle intervention :Experienced nutritionists calculated every participant's basal metabolic rate,then designed a proper diet and exercise treatment for them. During the treatment, a diet and exercise diary will be distributed to the patients, and detailed guidance concerning their diet and exercise will be provided according to the diary. The patients should be encouraged to maintain the diet and exercise diary for at least 4 days per week .", 'armGroupLabels': ['Real catgut implantation']}
- {'type': 'DEVICE', 'name': 'sham catgut implantation at acupoints', 'description': 'Empty needles without catgut will be pushed into the chosen position as below :Group A ：1 cun lateral from the Zhigou (TE 6), Tianshu (ST25), Weishu (BL21), Zhongwan (CV12) and Zusanli (ST36); Group B ：1 cun lateral from the Quchi (LI11), Huaroumen (ST24), Pishu (BL20), Shuifen (CV9), and Fenglong (ST40).Those two groups of acupoints will ultimately be selected for alternative treatment. Each group will be used alternatively and treated once every 2 weeks.\n\nlifestyle intervention :It will be performed as the same as the real catgut implantation at acupoints group.', 'armGroupLabels': ['sham catgut implantation']}

Primary Outcomes:
- {'measure': 'the rate of waistline reduction compared with baseline', 'timeFrame': 'week4 ,week8,week12,week16,week28,week40.'}

Please estimate the sample size based on the assumption: 
2-sided significance level at 5%, power at 80%, and a 20% attrition rate
2.6
        Sample size estimation
        Based on a review of the literature, clinical experience and discussion among clinical experts, we anticipated 7% waistline reduction at 16 weeks in the CIA group and 2% reduction in the sham CIA group. Eighty six participants per group was required based on:
        
          
            1.
            a mean clinically relevant difference of 5% (2% reduction in the sham CIA group), with a pooled standard deviation (SD) of 8.1%;
          
          
            2.
            2-sided at 5% and 1- at 80%.
          
        
        Assuming 20% attrition rate, we plan to enrol a total of 216 participants (108 per group).