Healing and Hypnotherapy Volume 4 Issue- 10, 1 April 2020 | Page 25

HYPNOSIS FOR WEIGHT LOSS – PART 3
In the first article in this series we discussed the epidemic proportions
of obesity and overweight in most developed countries throughout the
world. We also considered the efficacy of Hypnotherapy for losing weight
and looked at various studies which bear this out and introduced the
concept of “Overeating Triggers” or cues saying that eating is regulated by
both physiological mechanisms and behavioural processes. By learning
how these interact, you can better understand the forces that influence how
your client (and you) behave in regard to, overeating and, thus assist you in
modifying their (or your) behaviour. We concluded by delineating the five
triggers - Social, Emotional, Situational, Thinking and Physiological.
In the second instalment we discussed the social and emotional
triggers. Noting that food and eating has had a marked social significance
for most of man’s history. This dates back to prehistoric times when people
banded together as hunters and gatherers in small groups. Mealtimes
around the evening campfire were a time for socialising after the activities
of the day were done. The social significance continues to our present day
with some certain modifications reflective of modern society.
As an emotional cue, eating is a way some people cope with
unpleasant emotions, such as depression, anxiety, anger and loneliness, or
with negative physical states, such as fatigue, tension or pain. Food is also
used to celebrate and is part of many rituals. As a result, it is strongly
paired with positive emotions as well as negative ones.