London: Belly flab is a common weight problem. But, the bulging waistline notion lies more in the mind than the stomach, a dramatic experiment has revealed.
In the experiment, Britain`s leading hypnotist Sheila Granger fitted a group of overweight people with a "virtual gastric band" -- under hypnosis, the subjects shed an average
of almost nine inches in just five weeks.
According to her, the idea is that the subconscious mind will not allow the body to overeat; people only had to follow simple rules to reduce their portion sizes as well as
being encouraged to exercise and listen daily to a supporting hypnotherapy CD.
Granger said her trial saw significant weight loss in 99 per cent of the volunteers who had the virtual surgery. She hypnotised 21 people, four men and the rest women aged between 24 and 65, with varying lifestyles and weights who all had a history of dieting and struggling to maintain weight and size.
"I expected to see a 50 to 60 per cent success rate. However, I am very excited to find that we have had a 99 per cent positive result," the `Daily Express` quoted Granger, who
runs Trance Actions, as saying.
The group shed an average of 8.8 inches from their waistlines. The most successful subject lost 18.5 inches from their entire body and the smallest amount lost was 1.9 inches.
"The key is to focus on inches lost rather than weight but one inch lost equates to 1l pounds. The consensus from the group shows increased will power and no need to deprive themselves of the foods they enjoy. As humans, if we are told to avoid something, we crave it even more," she said.
PTI
