Public release date: 8-Feb-2006
By Laura Oates, CBS 11 News Reporter
Eating healthy is a good start if you’re trying to lose weight. But could hypnosis be another powerful tool? Doctors across the country are using it more and more to help people lose weight.
Beth Fredericks’s story is a familiar one. She was 30 pounds overweight and tried every diet under the sun.
“Nothing ever worked. Nothing ever worked,” said Fredericks, Hypnosis Patient.
So she opened her mind to a more unconventional approach: hypnosis.
During a session, hypnotherapist, Jean Fain puts Fredericks into a trance-like state. Fredericks says it kind of feels like being half-awake.
Then Fain starts feeding healthy suggestions into Fredericks ‘s subconscious.
So does it work?
“I look at fruits and vegetables more. They are much more appealing to me,” said Fredericks.
And this isn’t hocus-pocus. Studies have shown, when used by a trained therapist, hypnosis can help patients lose weight and keep it off.
Fain teaches other psychotherapists at the Cambridge Health Alliance in Boston. She says hypnosis is only part of the ongoing therapy. The other part is helping a patient understand why they’re overeating.
“The most important first lesson is learning that it’s not an instant cure–that they have some responsibility for their change,” said Jean Fain, Harvard Medical School.
Fredericks believes the conscious therapy helps her learn how much to eat, while the subconscious suggestions help her make good choices.
“The suggestion is in my head. I don’t have to do it so much, it’s kind of automatic,” said Fredericks.
As for the results, here’s some food for thought: Fredericks has slowly lost around 15 pounds, and says she never felt like she was on a diet.
