A common misconception is that overweight people are greedy and have no willpower, or that their appearance is due to lack of knowledge or ignorance. Being overweight, at least significantly so, is almost never just a matter of not knowing better; it's far more complicated than that.

There are often psychological problems associated with obesity - depression, lack of confidence, low self esteem etc. Most psychological problems are resolved naturally once the weight has been lost. Often the anxiety and frustrations that cause people to over eat stem from being over weight... it's a vicious circle.

Dieting in the UK is a multi billion pound business. There are literally tens of thousands of diet books, exercise videos, food substitutes, weight loss drugs and weight loss clubs. The trouble is all these treatments rely on willpower, which is why they usually fail!

A common misconception surrounding weight loss is that you need a lot of willpower to succeed. Willpower however doesn't really exist, behaviour that gives the appearance that a person has willpower, is simply behaviour allowed by the subconscious mind because it agrees with the conscious desire.

Generally if someone succeeds in losing weight using willpower alone, as soon as the weight is lost, they resume back to their old eating patterns and re-gain all the lost weight. Another common occurrence when using willpower alone is that as soon as other matters occupy the mind, or the main goal is removed i.e. slimming for a holiday, or an unexpected crisis arises, people have a tendency to slip back into their old habits. This compounds the problem because of the added disillusionment and discouragement. Therefore something more efficient and permanent than willpower is needed to enable clients to stick to their new healthy eating regime.

SO HOW DOES HYPNOSIS HELP?

Hypnosis bypasses willpower and changes the way the subconscious thinks. This allows eating healthily to become effortless, and is especially effective if self hypnosis is practised alongside professional hypnotherapy sessions. This works by utilising the same psychological principles you employ when mastering a new skill. If you are not able to imagine that you are going to be successful, then you are defeated before you begin. This is what happens when people undertake diets having previously failed many times before. No amount of willpower can surmount this feeling of defeatism.

Every successful person has had to be capable of visualising himself/herself as a success long before it becomes a reality. A physician, for example, could not undertake many years of study unless he/she was first able to 'see him/herself as a doctor. Any successful person achieves their goals by overcoming handicaps, which defeated those people who were less motivated.

Unfortunately, all negative opinions - true or not - filter into your subconscious mind, which does not question or analyse the many impressions it receives. People become so convinced that they are incapable of the strength necessary to maintain a diet that they eventually stop mentally picturing a healthy/more attractive body. Using hypnosis to create a positive self image is the key. Once a proper self image is generated people find they have the conviction to easily stick to a healthy eating plan. Therefore, the outcome of hypnotherapy for weight control is changing people's psychological mood.

It is the role of the Hypnotherapist to determine the most suitable treatment for each individual client but the following are examples of some of the benefits clients gain from hypnotherapy:

Removes the desire to overeat

Forms a positive self image

Produces stronger feelings of strength and determination

Improves self esteem, confidence and positive thinking

Improves stress levels

Occasionally weight gain is caused by a past event, uncovering this can help

Occasionally hypnotherapy uncovers secondary gains (reasons to remain overweight) and replacing weight gain with something more beneficial can help.

Terry Doherty is an internationally recognised hypnotherapist, stress management consultant and performance coach and can be reached at http://www.mind-works.co.uk