Below is an article written by myself introducing the Gastric Band Hypnotherapy. Why not have a read!
An introduction to gastric band hypnotherapy
Sheila
Granger, international hypnotherapist, discusses
whether gastric band hypnotherapy can bridge the gap between patterns of
thought and behaviour, to successfully implement and maintain the lifestyle
changes needed for weight loss.* Through a combination of hypnotherapy,
neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
techniques, gastric band hypnotherapy aims to help support weight loss, without
the potential risks and complications associated with gastric band surgery.
Obesity
 |
| More than 60% of adults are obese |
In
England, more than 60 per cent of adults and 30 per cent of children, aged
between two and 15, are overweight or obese. People who are overweight have a
higher risk of developing a number of health conditions including type 2
diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers,1,2 reproductive problems and
respiratory disorders.2 Obesity may also affect self-esteem and mental health.1
Health problems associated with obesity or excess weight cost the NHS more than
five billion pounds every year,1 with the prevalence of obesity continuing to
rise.2
Gastric band surgery
Gastric
band surgery is a form of weight loss surgery, or bariatric surgery, which is
available on the NHS as a last resort treatment for people with potentially
life-threatening obesity, when all other treatments, such as diet and exercise,
have been unsuccessful. Potentially life-threatening obesity is defined as
people with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 and above; or 35 and above, together
with a serious health disorder, such as type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, or
high blood pressure, which could improve with weight loss.2-4 Gastric banding
involves surgery to place a band around the stomach, leaving a small pouch at
the top of the stomach, which restricts the amount people eat, taking less time
to fill and consequently feel full.3,5-7 Most people lose approximately half of
their excess body weight within two years. The treatment is reversible and the
band can be removed, if required.5
Although
gastric band surgery is often successful for aiding weight loss,8,9 as with all
invasive surgery, there are potential risks and complications, including
infection, blood clots, internal bleeding, gallstones, gastric band slippage
and further surgery required to repair or adjust the band, if needed.2,3,10 For
this reason, most surgeons – whether in the NHS or working privately – would
typically only perform gastric band surgery for those with a clinical need.3 The
average cost of the various surgical interventions, including pre-operative
assessment and post-operative care in the first year, is in the region of £4,500-£5,300.2
Studies
have revealed the potential of hypnotherapy as a useful adjunct to weight loss
programmes, such as diet and exercise,11,12 and gastric-band hypnotherapy is an
innovative approach that aims to support weight loss, similarly to gastric band
surgery, without the potential risks and complications.
Mind over matter
 |
| It's all about developing a healthy lifestyle |
Gastric band
hypnotherapy aims to convince clients they have had the restrictive mechanism fitted
in the stomach, change how they think about food, and influence small,
realistic changes to eating habits.
The
therapy is about developing a healthy, natural weight control system, based on
the natural biological signals of eating when hungry and stopping when full,
rather than forming an emotional attachment to eating. Hypnotherapy can address
emotional and psychological issues at the root of an individuals’ ultimate need
to begin – and continue – overeating.
A thorough
consultation establishes the client’s current eating habits, and identifies any
problematic areas such as comfort eating, not being able to leave food on a
plate, even if full, large portion sizes, unhealthy cravings, and so on. The
therapist will discuss relevant areas such as healthy eating patterns, mindful
eating, and exercise, before setting goals using visualisation techniques, for
example, the client imagining themselves looking slim and healthy in a certain
item of clothing.
Changing mindsets
During the
gastric band ‘procedure’, the client is initially guided into hypnosis by the
therapist, until they reach a point of deep relaxation, where the therapist can
access their subconscious and increase the person’s susceptibility to positive
suggestion. The therapist then takes the client descriptively through the
operation step by step- from being put under anaesthetic and the journey on a
trolley to the operating theatre, to the incision, the application of the
gastric band and the stitching to close the incision.
The use of
hospital sounds and smells can be recreated to enhance that experience, such as
the smell of antiseptic and the beeping of a hospital heart monitor. Although
the therapy is tailored to each client, therefore reducing the potential for
any distress, gastric band hypnotherapy is not suitable for clients with a
phobia of hospitals, so any fears/phobias need to be established prior to
treatment.
Although
the client remains aware of what's going on around them, through the
subconscious mind, the boundaries of what is real and pretend are blurred, so
that imagining the surgical procedure can influence real physical responses. Everyone
experiences different effects from gastric band hypnotherapy, with some people experiencing
the sensation of physical tightening in their stomach, while others are unable
to identify any conscious connection to the ‘surgery’, but are naturally eating
less.
Following
the gastric band procedure, subsequent sessions combining hypnotherapy, NLP CBT
techniques, such as guided imagery, metaphors, and certain aversion techniques,
help to release any emotional blockages and reinforce the new way of eating.
Health benefits
 |
| Confidence, self-esteem and well-being increases! |
Gastric
band hypnotherapy can be useful for not only general health benefits through
supporting weight loss in overweight and obese clients, it can also potentially
reduce the risk of developing other conditions associated with obesity, such as
diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and so on. It can also be useful for those
with metabolic disorders potentially affecting weight, including polycystic
ovary syndrome and underactive thyroid.
I am keen
to be involved in research to provide evidence for the benefits of gastric band
hypnotherapy. A survey of 60 practitioners I had trained in gastric band
hypnotherapy, revealed a number of reported physical and psychological benefits in
clients, including weight loss, reductions in blood pressure and blood sugar
levels, and enhanced confidence, self-esteem and well-being. Other reported
benefits included reduced levels of stress, anxiety, and depression; improved
sleep; and increased mobility.13
I was also
involved in a six-month study as part of project HONEI (Humber Obesity,
Nutrition, Education and Innovation), which aimed to develop a
multidisciplinary approach to improving health and reducing health
inequalities, particularly with respect to obesity. Led by Professor Stephen
Atkin of Hull York Medical School, the effects of gastric band therapy were
measured against a control group.** Further clinical trials are due to commence
in the United States.
* Although there may be
variations in styles of practice and techniques used by different schools of
gastric band hypnotherapy, this article focuses on the virtual gastric band,
developed by Sheila Granger.
**This research is still in the process of being
published.
About the author
 |
Sheila Granger, Practitioner of the
Virtual Gastric Band |
Sheila
Granger runs a hypnotherapy surgery in East Yorkshire, where she provides a
number of pioneering programmes to help clients overcome physical and
psychological issues. She is one of the UK’s leading hypnotherapists, and has
trained more than 500 practitioners all over the world, including the UK, USA,
Canada and Australia. T. 01482 863659 www.sheilagranger.com
References
1. Reducing obesity and improving diet,
Department of Health (www.gov.uk/government/policies/reducing-obesity-and-improving-diet).
2. Final Appraisal Determination: Surgery to
aid weight reduction for people with morbid obesity, National Institute for
Health and Care Excellence (http://www.nice.org.uk/article.asp?a=32081).
3. NHS
Direct (www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk).
4. Dixon
JB (2008). Adjustable gastric banding and conventional therapy for Type 2
Diabetes: a randomized controlled trial, The
Journal of the American Medical Association 299(3): 316-323. Source: http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1149302.
5. Favretti
F et al (2006). Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding in 1,791 Consecutive Obese
Patients: 12-Year Results, Obesity
Surgery 17: 168-175. Source: Healthier Weight
(www.healthierweight.co.uk/research/gastric-band-articles/study-of-gastric-band-patients-12-years-on).
6. Kissler
HJ and Settmacher U (2012). Bariatric surgery to treat obesity, Seminars in Nephrology 33(1): 75-89. Source:
PubMed (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23374896).
7. Yildiz BD et al (2012). Long
term efficacy of laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding--retrospective
analysis, Advances in Clinical and
Experimental Medicine 21(5): 615-9. Source: PubMed (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23356198).
8. O’Brien
P Prof. (2013). Gastric banding an effective long-term solution to obesity.
Source: Monash University (www.monash.edu.au/news/show/gastric-banding-an-effective-long-term-solution-to-obesity).
9. Karlsson
J et al (1998). Swedish obese subjects (SOS)- an intervention study of obesity,
International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders 22(2): 113-26.
In Final Appraisal Determination: Surgery
to aid weight reduction for people with morbid obesity, National Institute
for Health and Care Excellence.
10. Hady
HR et al (2012) Complications after laparoscopic gastric banding in own
material, Videosurgery and other minor miniinvasive techniques 7(3): 166-74.
Source: PubMed (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23256021).
11.
Stradling J et al (1998). Controlled
trial of hypnotherapy for weight loss in patients with obstructive sleep
apnoea, International Journal of Obesity
and Related Metabolic Disorders 22(3): 278-81. Source: PubMed (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9539198).
12. Bolocofsky
DN et al (1985). Effectiveness of hypnosis as an adjunct to behavioral weight
management, Journal of Clinical Psychology 41(1): 35-41. Source: PubMed (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3973038).
13.
Granger S (2012). Gastric-band hypnosis: Weight-loss totals and associated health
benefits. www.sheilagranger.com.
This week I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Catherine Lea, business editor of the Hull Daily Mail. 
