There is a common misconception, often encouraged by the media, that overweight people are lazy and just spend their days eating.
However in most cases obesity is related to personal issues and compulsive overeating has become a part of the problem.
Things like low self esteem, depression and generally anxiety can be bought on by many different factors. Unemployment, bereavement or a marriage break up can all cause mental trauma and often individuals find solace in food.
It is often joked that chocolate is what women turn to after a break up, this can be the start to a lifetime of fad diets and yo-yo weight loss.
No amount of dieting will work until the root of the problem is discovered but this can take many years of therapy. In fact a broken heart or the loss of a dear loved one sometimes will never be recovered from.
The alternative is to change the eating habits so that food is what keeps you alive, what you need to survive but only physically not on any emotional level.
This means changing deep rooted habits, instead of eating candy after a bad day at the office you work through the problem without resorting to your food crutch.
And a crutch is exactly what food has become to a lot of people. In a way it is similar to someone resorting to alcohol or drugs, it is an escape but just like them, it has consequences.
Obesity puts someone at far greater risk from heart disease, cancer and conditions like diabetes. Whilst some are very confident in their size there is no getting away from the unhealthiness of being overweight.
The problems of excess pounds affect every part of your body and the days of pronouncing that someone is simply big bones are over. A person’s body mass index (BMI) tells the story and science can not be fought.
Similar to anti-ageing and cosmetic surgery, the weight loss industry is worth billions of dollars, for every failed diet plan someone’s bank balance benefited from the attempt.
If someone has a product to sell or a book to plug then the likelihood is that it will not sustain the long term loss of weight.
Other than adopting a well balanced healthy diet, alongside a regular exercise routine there is no actual diet that has a miracle solution. Losing weight is hard work but if the emotional element can be removed it will be a big help. This is where hypnosis comes in and it seems to have quite successful results.
It has been used for smokers keen to stop, for people with certain phobias and it can help to retain the mind away from relying on food to help them get over emotional problems and situations.
