Hypnosis Gastric Band
With obesity becoming an increasing problem in the Western world many are turning to weight loss surgery to start shifting the pounds. However one company has invented what they are calling a 'hypno-band'; in which patients are hypnotised into believing they have had gastric band surgery in order to start losing weight.
The hypno-band
British hypnotherapist John Maclean invented a type of virtual gastric band which he named the hypno-band. During many years of helping patients by weight-loss therapy Maclean had come to the deduction that for patients who had a high body mass index, therapy on its own was not enough to encourage a regular weight loss. The concept of a virtual gastric band using hypnosis had been about for a while but Maclean felt that it did not deal with the patient's underlying psychological reasons for their weight problems.
After months of study the hypno-band came to life and today it is the worlds most used form of virtual gastric band therapy. The hypno-band is a mixture of hypnosis and cognitive behaviour therapy that encourages the patient to discover and alter their eating habits. Then using hypnosis a 'virtual gastric band' is fitted, enabling the patient to eat smaller portions of food, not as often.
Advantages
There are numerous advantages to the hypnosis gastric band compared with actual gastric band surgery. These include:
- The patient does not need to have a body mass index of over 40 (or over 35 with medical related illnesses). The hypno-band is performed on patients with a BMI over over 25 which puts them in the overweight category.
- There are no side effects to the hypno-band unlike in actual weight loss surgery/
- The cost of the hypno-band is around one sixth of the cost of actual weight loss surgery in the UK.
- There is no painful surgery to recovery from and no recovery time in hospital is needed.
What happens in hypno-band therapy?
Hypno-band therapy consists of a series of one hour sessions plus CD recordings which are used for reinforcement at home. An initial assessment and full dietary history is taken during the first session. The first session also introduces the patient to hypnosis. In the second session the patient begins the process of having the gastric band fitted. In the next few sessions the patient will have the band fitted and then begin to have the gastric band adjusted to encourage further weight loss. Patients are expected to listen to the CD recordings to reinforce the therapy.
There are no definite guarantees that hypno-band therapy will work for everyone, though it has been proven to aid in significant weight loss. Before embarking on hypno-band therapy, the patient needs to be fully committed to losing weight in order to get the most out of the treatment. The mind is a powerful instrument, and the hypno-band company hope that through following the course and undergoing the hypnosis, it will help the patient to change their life style and eating behaviours for the long term.
