International Handbook of Clinical Hypnosis - E-Lib FK UWKS

HYPNOTHERAPY IN OBESITY 225
4. To restrict the purchase of food supplies.
5. To evoke aversive responses, such as sickness and disgust, when eating highcalorie
food.
Teaching Normal Eating Habits
Most obese people have eating habits that differ strongly from those of normal
weight people. They often eat almost automatically, half-consciously and very
quickly. Teaching how to return to normal eating habits is therefore an important
part of the treatment. This can ®rst be taught during hypnosis. Patients are asked to
imagine they are sitting quietly at a table, enjoying their meal slowly, bite after bite,
to be chewing the food slowly in their mouth and enjoying the various ¯avors. At
the same time, post-hypnotic suggestions can be made to eat quietly at home as
well. This way, eating can become an art: the patient will enjoy food more and
more, and eating can again become a pleasurable activity.
Example
After hypnosis induction, the patient can be asked to describe the food that lies on
the table and how it smells. Next, the following suggestions can be given:
And when your stomach is signaling you that you are hungry, ®rst decide what you are
going to eat and how much ... OK now you can take your ®rst bite and try to
concentrate on what you are tasting. Maybe you'll discover all kind of new ¯avors
during your breakfast. Try to eat as slowly as possible and hence you may learn to
enjoy eating much longer than ever before ... And bite after bite, you may become
more and more aware how nice it is to eat slowly, while concentrating more and more
on all the sensations in your body ...All the different ¯avors and odors ...And when
your stomach signals to you that it is ®lled with food, you can become aware of an
ever increasing feeling of fulness in your stomach, so that you can stop eating and be
pleased with yourself, completely satis®ed until your next meal and pleased with this
very new experience ...
Awakening Interoceptive Sensations
Obese patients often have to be made conscious again of feelings of hunger and
satiation, which can be suggested and taught systematically during the trance. After
hypnosis induction, the patient can be asked to concentrate on the feelings in her
stomach. Suggestions can be given on how the stomach can communicate to the
patient that it is empty, or when it is full and satiated. Other suggestions may be:
`Hunger will help me to signal when it is time to eat my meal, and the feeling of
hunger will help me to enjoy my meal. And while enjoying my meal, I will develop
a better contact with my stomach, I can concentrate on the feelings in my stomach