Yet again obesity is in the news as England’s chief medical officer, Dame Sally Davies, says being overweight is increasingly seen as the norm.
In her annual report on the state of health, she said this was concerning, pointing out many people did not recognise they had a problem. Parents of overweight children were also failing to spot the signs too, she said.
Just recently, researchers from Imperial College London said around two million people in England could be eligible for weight loss surgery. They say bariatric surgery, such as fitting gastric bands, can cut the fatal risks from obesity-related problems such as heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.
There are many who are overweight and have the need to manage weight loss programmes to prevent becoming obese. But surgery is not necessary as this is where hypnotherapists from the National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH) can help.
Managing weight loss is one of the most effective results of hypnotherapy. Instead of recommending drastic diets in an effort to control bingeing and manage weight loss, NCH therapists help their clients get in touch with the reasons why they you unconsciously eat.
If you binge or struggle to stop after a small piece of chocolate, then a hypnotherapist can help you understand why and help you create new healthy self-management techniques. Besides stopping compulsive eating, hypnosis can increase your motivation for exercise. It can also help you reduce portion sizes so you lose weight healthily, steadily and for the long term.
Losing weight with hypnosis is essentially about teaching you to feel good about yourself, whatever size you are. It focuses on making healthy changes to your diet and lifestyle that will remain with you for the rest of your life.
Obesity is linked to food addiction and hypnotherapy can effectively treat addictions.
Peer pressure and social influence also plays a role. Dame Sally blamed the way weight was being portrayed by the media and clothes industry.
“I have long been concerned that being underweight is often portrayed as the ideal weight, particularly in the fashion industry. Yet I am increasingly concerned that society may be normalising being overweight. Larger mannequins are being introduced into clothes shops and ‘size inflation’ means that clothes with the same size label have become larger in recent decades.
“And news stories about weight often feature pictures of severely obese people, which are unrepresentative of the majority of overweight people.”
A ‘side benefit’ of hypnotherapy is that is can increase your motivation for exercise and this combination has been proven to work recently.
A Lanarkshire mother and part owner of a fitness company went from a size 24 to an 11-stone size 10 after being stung into action by a cruel remark. She used a combination of ‘non-sleep’ hypnosis, diet and daily exercise.
She lost seven pounds in her first week and a stone in the first month – and has continued to steadily shed between two and three pounds every week since.
The process combines the light hypnosis, concentrating on creating a positive mental attitude to weight loss, daily cardiovascular workouts and a healthy, balanced diet.
So, if you fear being obese, are addicted to food or simply want to manage your weight, find a hypnotherapist near you by visiting the NCH directory and start a new life.