Obesity has become a significant global health concern, linked to increased mortality and morbidity. Diet, exercise, and behavioral modification form the cornerstone of obesity management, often supplemented by pharmacotherapy and bariatric surgery. Hypnosis, defined as a state of focused attention and reduced peripheral awareness, has emerged as a potential adjuvant intervention in psychotherapy and healthcare. This article explores the effectiveness of weight loss hypnosis audio, examining its application, research findings, and potential benefits.
Understanding Hypnosis
Hypnosis involves an induction phase to focus attention, followed by suggestions to induce relaxation and a hypnotic state. In this altered state of consciousness, individuals may be more receptive to positive feedback and directions. Hypnosis has been used in conjunction with other methods of treating obesity, and while some studies have shown a beneficial effect of hypnosis on weight loss, these studies have been criticized for varied methodologies and the use of different hypnotic methods, such as self-hypnosis, hypnotic audiotapes, or specialized hypnotists.
The Role of Hypnosis in Weight Loss
Hypnosis can help uncover beliefs in the mind that may be preventing you from losing weight. It can also help you reframe the way you think about eating by enjoying the process, knowing when you are full, and treating your body as your temple by not overeating. Hypnotherapy accesses the unconscious mind to help individuals achieve goals such as weight loss. In today’s fast paced and heavily-influenced world, it can be hard to break habits. Hypnotherapy offers a way to disconnect and reset the mind, thus expediting the path you’ve envisioned but been unable to find.
Self-hypnosis is self-guided hypnotherapy that you can manage on your own time. It can help you reduce anxiety, change eating behaviors, increase awareness, shift associations, reduce food cravings, and more.
Research on Hypnosis Audio for Weight Loss
A recent study aimed to assess the effect of audiotaped self-hypnosis on the stages and processes of change as defined by the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) of change using a randomized controlled design. The TTM classifies behavior change into five stages: pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance. The study was a 3-week double-blinded, randomized, parallel, placebo-controlled trial. Participants were given audio files via USB, with one group receiving a self-hypnosis audio file and the other a control audio file with lifestyle change messages.
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Study Design
The inclusion criteria for the study were: a BMI of 25 kg/m2 or greater, age between 18 and 64 years, the ability to provide written informed consent, fluency in English, and previous attempts to lose weight or dissatisfaction with current weight loss plans. Participants attended a baseline visit and a 3-week follow-up visit. Measurements included weight, height, waist circumference, and completion of questionnaires such as the S-Weight and P-Weight tools to assess stages and processes of change.
Findings of the Study
The study found no association between self-hypnosis and progression across stages of change. The mean difference in weight at 3 weeks was −0.63 ± 0.43 Kg in the hypnosis group and 0.0 ± 1.5 kg in the control group, which was not statistically significant. Similarly, the change in waist circumference was not significantly different between the two groups. The primary objective of this randomized, double-controlled trial was to determine the effect of audio self-hypnosis on the stages of change, with the primary outcome defined as a progression in at least one stage. This pilot study did not show an effect of audio self-hypnosis on the TTM’s stages of change or weight loss at 3 weeks.
Participants in the hypnosis group were more likely to have followed a weight loss plan (48.0%) than those in the control group (33.3%), but the difference was not statistically significant.
Limitations of the Study
The study had several limitations, including a small sample size, which resulted in the study being underpowered. The majority of the sample was recruited before the COVID pandemic, and similar to other studies regarding hypnosis, dropout and recruitment were major obstacles. The sample also had limited generalizability due to its predominantly educated female participants.
Broader Research Context
A narrative review of the effects of hypnosis on weight reduction revealed that most studies included a lifestyle modification component in addition to the hypnosis. The study aimed to use self-hypnosis as the main intervention because it is a scalable, noninvasive, and inexpensive intervention. The primary outcome was the stage of change progression, not weight loss. The stage of change correlates positively with motivation, which results in successful weight loss. The frequency with which hypnosis is used is related to weight changes.
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Other research suggests that self-hypnosis resulted in a similar weight reduction as diabetic education in patients with diabetes type II. Self-hypnosis was associated with increased satiety and quality of life in patients with obesity but not with weight loss. When self-hypnosis was used as part of the cognitive-behavioral intervention in addition to a hypnosis intervention, the effect size on weight loss was larger than when self-hypnosis was not used.
Most of the research on hypnosis and self-hypnosis is observational and was published two decades ago. A certified hypnotist created the hypnosis audio files.
Hypnosis vs. Mindfulness Meditation
There are several similarities, but some key distinctions between hypnosis and mindfulness meditation.
How Hypnosis Works
Changing behaviors can be hard, but hypnosis can help you with the process! Hypnosis is a unique skill your brain can use to assist in change-making. Hypnosis is like the capsule - it allows a delivery of content (in our case, suggestions to address behaviors that impact weight management) to help your brain to better facilitate the change.
As part of the process of changing behaviors that interfere with weight management, a recent review argued that hypnosis to control eating was effective in increasing food awareness, limiting emotional eating, reducing food cravings, and improving self-acceptance of body image, which can help with setting realistic and achievable goals for weight management. Hypnosis can also be used to increase behaviors that support weight management, such as eating more slowly, sticking to a diet plan, and increasing physical exercise.
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Benefits of Hypnosis
Hypnosis can help you to change not just how much you eat but how you eat. You can learn how to eat less but enjoy eating more. You can also learn to focus on eating with respect for your body, feeding it as carefully as you would your child or your pet.
A recent review of previous meta-analyses found hypnosis to be a highly effective way of reducing anxiety. In the studies included, people who received hypnosis showed more weight loss than about 94% of those who received other task assignments (control conditions) and more than 81% at the most extended follow-up after the treatment ended. Moreover, when comparing cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) with and without hypnosis, people who received CBT combined with hypnosis experienced more weight loss than about 60% of those who received CBT alone and more than 79% at the most extended follow-up after the treatment ended. This means that hypnosis can enhance the effects of treatment if you are already receiving CBT for weight management.
Although hypnosis can help with weight loss in the short term, a recent study emphasized that routine use of hypnosis for weight management leads to greater weight loss. However, a recent study showed that even for those who do not experience significant weight change with hypnosis, hypnosis was related to improved satiety, reduced inflammation, and increased quality of life.
Hypnotherapy Apps
Hypnotherapy apps are not created equal, and therefore, the app you choose can influence your success. Reveri is a hypnotherapy app that can be used for weight loss, rooted in 45+ years of clinical research, designed to help you achieve several different types of goals, including weight loss. All Reveri sessions are clinically validated at Stanford and created by the Associate Chair of Psychiatry, Dr. Spiegel.
Practical Considerations
The number of sessions you’ll need to achieve your weight loss goal will vary based on your starting weight. As a holistic and sustainable weight loss method, you can see progress after the very first session and continue using online hypnotherapy for weight loss as needed daily, or even multiple times per day. Staying consistent will ultimately lead to your final destination. Even once you’ve arrived, you can continue to use hypnotherapy to maintain a healthy mental and physical state.