Hypnosis and Weight Loss

The problem with talking about hypnosis and weight loss, or
hypnosis and many other things for that matter, is that
there often are few, if any, studies on whose results you
can hang your hat.  In this world where it seems everything
is studied from every different angle, it seems that the
final conclusion is that hypnosis can help you lose
weight...or not.

There are plenty of claims of success by the myriad of
hypnotherapists of all kinds who have put up websites and
gone into the "Hypnosis can cure..." business.

Actually, the problem is not even whether or not hypnosis
can or cannot be a tool in a healthy weight loss program.
That much, at least, is pretty well agreed upon.  The
question seems to be how to use it and how much effect it
actually has on an individual's weight loss.

That brings us to another factor.  We are dealing with
individuals, and individuals tend to react differently to
the efforts of hypnotherapists in ANY attempt to produce a
viable effect.

Most claims found for hypnotherapists on the internet,
whether they are claiming that hypnosis is effective for
weight loss or not (and most are) is that they ARE
successful.  Like many other things that can be effective
and valuable in weight loss, or almost any other endeavor,
the unknown fact is what does "effective" mean to these
people and can they define "effective" in terms of so many
successful outcomes in so many total attempts.  This is the
problem.  There are no numbers, at least none that I could
find.

However, many studies DO exist that show that hypnosis CAN
be combined with other standard weight loss efforts to
produce a better outcome.  For example, it has long been
known that changing eating habits and attitudes towards
food can help with weight loss.  It has been found that
hypnosis, combined with behavior modification, tends to
meet with greater success than behavior modification or
attitude alteration alone.  It seems that the hypnosis does
what it often does best...it relaxes the subject, allows
them to focus and concentrate, and helps them learn their
lessons, if you will, more quickly and efficiently.

Bottom line?  Hypnosis alone is not very likely to produce
profound effects on weight loss.  This is particularly true
in light of many hypnotherapists' claims that "only one
session" will cause a massive, immediate, and continuous
weight loss.  If anything, for most people, hypnosis is
simply one more weapon in an arsenal of weapons in the war
against obesity.  As always the main weapons will be
regular physical activity and sensible eating habits.


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Donovan Baldwin is a Texas writer. He is a University of
West Florida alumnus, a member of Mensa, and is retired
from the U. S. Army. He hosts a web page at
http://nodiet4me.net/weightlossproducts/index.html with
mini-reviews of weight loss programs and products.