Weight?
Why
By Hugh Sadlier, M.Ed T
here are as many specifi c reasons for being overweight as there are people, since each person is an individual and has his/her own tapestry of experiences, messages and infl uenc- es that affect eating habits. Overeating usually fi lls a need. Some people overeat to compensate for an unpleasant experience(s). Others eat excessively to reward themselves, or possibly for self- entertainment. Eating can be used to compensate for a lack of love, to lessen fear, to overcome frustration, to deal with boredom, to protect yourself from other people, to avoid sex and to produce comfort. Clients from my hypnotherapy practice report that eating can also be used, as is the case with sugar, to achieve a rush or high, often accompanied by a feeling of power. Unfortunately, the aftermath of overeating may include shame, guilt, and a weakened physical and emotional state. Challenging or stressful issues at any time in a person's life can also contribute to weight gain.
Often, eating attitudes and behaviors modeled and espoused
by parental fi gures solidify within youngsters at an early age. Imagine constantly hearing, "You can't leave the table until you've cleaned your plate," or "Take as much as you want, but eat every- thing you take," or "If you want to grow up big and strong, you'd better eat as much as you can." Those are the kinds of messages that can bury themselves in the depths of one's subconscious mind - and last a lifetime. As they continue to reinforce being overweight, we may not even consciously be aware of why we overeat, but overeat we do. The National Health and Nutrition Ex- amination Survey of 2003-2006 and 2007-2008, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, indicate that 34.2% of adults over the age of 20 in the United States are overweight
14 Essential Living Maine ~ January/February 2017
and 33.8% are obese. Overweight is an excessive amount of body weight from muscles, bone, adipose (fat) tissue and water; obesity is an overly excessive amount of body weight from an exaggerated amount of adipose (fat) tissues.
Because people often aren't aware of the merits of hypnosis helping with weight loss, they tend toward trying one or more of the "conscious mind" methods. While it is possible to achieve success with those "will power" techniques, it's very challenging to maintain it permanently. The unsuccessful result is called yo-yo dieting, meaning that people may achieve initial success - even losing huge amounts of weight - but not be able to maintain it long-term. They gain back the lost weight, then try again to lose the regained weight - and the cycle repeats itself.
Studies clearly indicate the potential benefi ts of hypnosis in aiding weight loss. A 1996 meta-analysis study conducted at the University of Connecticut and published in the Journal of Consult- ing and Clinical Psychology found people using hypnosis were able to lose, on average, almost 2.5 times as much weight as those not using hypnosis. Further, the study found, “the addition of hypnosis appears to have a signifi cant and substantial effect on the outcome of cognitive-behavioral treatment for weight reduction, and this effect increases over time.” In another study, researchers analyzed eighteen studies comparing a cognitive behavioral ther- apy, such as relaxation training, guided imagery, self-monitoring or goal setting, with the same therapy supplemented by hypnosis. Those who received the hypnosis lost more weight than 90% of the non-hypnosis groups and maintained the weight loss two years after treatment ended.
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