Hypnosis for Weight Loss: Where's the Evidence?

Obesity is a heavy burden to bear, no pun intended. Individuals who are overweight are at increased risk for a host of medical problems. They experience bias in the workplace and at school. Many obese people deal almost daily with often incorrect preconceived notions that they are lazy with no willpower, are over eaters with no self-control, and/or don't care about their physical appearance, the concern of their friends and family, and the burden they create on the health care system. Could hypnosis help these overweight individuals lose weight?

Many overweight men and women will receive the following advice when they ask their physician about losing weight, "It's a simple matter of making sure that the calories you burn exceed the calories you eat. You can use whatever method you think will work for you. You could cut back on carbs, go low fat, get rid of those sodas and sweets, or even try a vegetarian diet. Try to get more exercise so you burn more calories. Do something you enjoy so you'll stick with it. Good luck."

But deep down we all know it's not that simple to lose weight. How many obese men and women have lost a significant amount of weight only to gain it back in a year? How many overweight people have gotten off to a great start on their new diet and exercise plan only to find that their weight loss plateaus and not even one more pound will drop? Could hypnosis be of any use in weight loss?

Recent research has investigated this very issue. Multiple studies have actually been conducted on the use of hypnotherapy as an adjunct in weight loss programs. In fact, there have finally been enough studies conducted on the topic of hypnosis and weight loss that a meta-analysis of these studies has been done.

A meta-analysis is a type of research study that is particularly useful when there are many studies investigating a topic that is not particularly popular or prevalent. Studies that can only enroll a small number of participants or that may not be particularly well-designed can have a hard time proving the significance of their results. A meta-analysis combines the results of all the studies that investigate a particular question and re-analyzes the results in order to determine if there really is a statistical significance or not.

This meta-analysis specifically looked at six randomized controlled trials, the gold standard experimental design in clinical research, that investigated whether hypnosis can increase weight loss when added to cognitive behavioral therapy. The meta-analysis surprisingly found that hypnosis may be helpful for individuals trying to lose weight. This study showed a small, but statistically significant, increase in the amount of weight lost by people who had received hypnosis as compared to those who had not.

Since the publication of this meta-analysis, another randomized controlled trial has been completed that evaluated the long-term effects on hypnosis and weight loss. This study found that, compared to individuals who received only dietary advice, individuals who utilized hypnosis for losing weight were actually able to maintain their significant weight loss over the next 18 months.

Losing weight is not easy. There is no one right way to accomplish this important goal but it is a goal that must be reached. In addition to the advice on diet and exercise that a physician is likely to give most people, individuals attempting to lose weight may find that hypnosis is a useful addition to their weight loss repertoire.

Source:

Steyer TE, Ables A. Complementary and alternative therapies for weight loss. Prim Care. 2009 Jun;36(2):395-406.