Gastric Band Hypnosis for Weight Loss

Gastric Band Hypnosis is a technique for weight loss and puts a whole new alternative treatment twist on gastric band surgery (also sometimes referred to as gastric bypass surgery).

There are three major names being used for the technique and they are Gastric Mind Band^TM, Hypno-Band^TM and Virtual Gastric Band. Later I'll talk about each of the primary names associated with these techniques and their claims, but before I do that we need to talk about what it's all about.

Basically, the concept of Gastric Band Hypnosis for Weight Loss is to replace Gastric Band surgery. The surgical procedure places a band around your stomach to reduce the amount of food you consume before you feel full. The idea being you'll consume less food at each meal and lose weight.

It's obviously not recommended surgery if you just want to lose a few pounds to fit into last summers wardrobe. Surgery for weight loss is usually reserved for extreme cases or people with health issues from being overweight. Like any surgery there are risks involved.

Gastric Band Hypnosis uses techniques to convince the subconscious it has undergone the surgery without being wheeled into an operating table and actually having the surgical procedure performed. The techniques can include activities to simulate the the sounds and smells of an operating theater to add to the effect on the subconscious.

The hypnosis process also includes techniques to simulate the effect of having a gastric band installed around the stomach so you feel full quickly when eating a meal.

Is that it?

Well no. Weight loss is much more than just consuming less calories at each meal. Other behavioral changes need to take place as well. And so these hypnotherapy techniques include hypnosis, powerful visualization, NLP and cognitive behavior therapy (CBT).

While this type of pseudo surgery of the mind is not new by any means its application in the field of weight loss is in its pioneering stage.

Let's continue by exploring the three techniques I mentioned earlier and the people behind those programs and their claims.

Pioneering work in the field of Gastric Band Hypnosis for Weight Loss was performed by two hypnotherapists by the names of Martin and Marion Shirran. This husband and wife team has trademarked their techniques as Gastric Mind Band^TM and offered the program in Europe through the Elite Clinic based in Spain.

The Shirran’s have reported a very high success rate with the Gastric Mind Band^TM - over 74 percent. In the past four years they have treated over 400 patients with this form of weight loss hypnotherapy. They have plans to offer their 4 sessions $3,000 treatment therapy at The Benestar Centre in New York City in the near future.

Both Martin and Marion Shirran possess diplomas in Clinical Hypnosis and are certified and registered with the American Board and British Institute of Hypnotherapy. Marion is a member of the UK IBS Register.

In 2005 Martin received additional training and from it gained a primary certification in R.E.B.T. (Cognitive Behavior Therapy) at the School of Psychology at Birmingham University. He is also a member of the United Kingdom Society for the Behavioural Medicine and the International Hypnosis Research Institute.

The Shirrans were recently profiled in an ABC News video you can watch by clicking here.

The Hypno-Band^TM was created and developed by John MacLean. The program was designed for people with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of over 25. John found regular hypnotherapy was not enough to help people with a high BMI.

John created the Hypno-Band^TM process that leveraged on the work of the Mirran’s but included “an integrated system that analysed and dealt with the client’s emotional and psychological reasons for over-eating.”

The Hypno-Band^TM is available through licensed practitioners of which there are currently over 270 in twelve countries including the U.S. The program includes multiple sessions with CD or MP3s for reinforcement. Price likely depends on number of sessions required and on locale.

John MacLean claims the Hypno-Band^TM is the world’s no.1 gastric band hypnotherapy system. His company Newwave Hypnotherapy is based in Mallorca, Spain and Exeter, U.K.

Sheila Granger is a Clinical Hypnotist in Beverley, Yorkshire, U.K. Sheila has caused something of a stir in the British media with her own version of Virtual Gastric Band therapy and claiming a 95% success rate. She maintains the British NHS could save millions of pounds each year by utilizing hypnotherapy instead of paying for Gastric bypass surgery for obese people. The surgical procedure is expensive.

Granger’s claims to be seeing between 40-50 clients a week in 12-hour days, and a waiting list of two months. Sheila conducted her own trial of 25 people using her technique and 24 people lost a combined total of 203 pounds in 3 weeks.

Granger’s work is fully supported and registered by the General Hypnotherapy Standards Council in the U.K. and is the resident hypnotherapist for the NHS radio.

Granger visited New York during October, 2010 and conducted training sessions in her own Virtual Gastric Band Hypnosis procedure to other hypnotherapists.

Something different to tackle weight loss is definitely needed in America.

According to the National Institute of Health, more than 65 percent of adults in the United States are overweight, obese or morbidly obese. The rate of obesity has been climbing steadily over the past few years. Those who carry too many pounds on their body are at risk for a multitude of serious health problems. Examples of these include heart disease, stroke, a variety of types of cancer and diabetes.

The rise in obesity has also spiked a rise in the incidence of type II (or type 2) diabetes. It has been estimated by the American Diabetes Association that as many as 21 million individuals suffer from diabetes while an estimated 54 million people are classified as pre-diabetes. For those unfamiliar with pre-diabetes it is a health condition characterized by a blood glucose level that is elevated but has not yet reached the level that is seen in those with type II diabetes.

There is a direct connection between obesity and type II diabetes. In fact more than 85 percent of those who have been diagnosed with type II diabetes are individuals who are overweight or obese.

If the claims of Gastric Band Hypnosis are verified then it's a technique that could greatly improve the health and lives of these individuals without the risks inherent with surgery.

The weight loss and diet industry mostly tackles just one leg of the weight loss stool. Mostly any diet will work temporarily for a person wanting to lose weight. Yes, you have to find the diet that works for you, but they're designed to introduce healthy foods in the right portions, so if you adhere to the plan you'd think it would translate to weight loss, right?

Obviously this is not the case. The right diet for you along with some exercise - even if it's just walking - should be part of lifestyle changes. For some people  who are heavily obese getting to exercise is not the first step, but should be a goal.

But getting to a healthy lifestyle is more than just having a diet plan or scheduling a walk a few times a week. You need to put everything into action and keep to the plan until it becomes your way of life. It is a key component of who you are.

This is where the diet industry has fallen down and where hypnotherapy is being increasingly used to fulfill the weight loss goals of people who've not been able to keep the weight off, or even get to first base on their weight loss plan.

Hypnotherapy tackles the hard stuff of weight loss. The Shirran's, John MacLean, and Sheila Granger have developed programs that tackle the other legs on the weight loss stool, and addressing the gap of changing behaviors to aid these critical lifestyle changes their clients desperately need.

It is still relatively early days for Gastric Band Hypnosis and improvements will be made to the various techniques we've discussed here but results do seem promising. And if this field interests you then I encourage you to check out the resource section below which I will add to as new information becomes available.