Effects of Self-conditioning Techniques in Promoting Weight Loss in Patients With Obesity. A Randomized Controlled Trial

Effects of Self-conditioning Techniques in Promoting Weight Loss in Patients With Severe Obesity. A Randomized Controlled Trial

The investigators hypothesized that hypnosis is an alternative technique that could be applied to help patients with obesity to lose weight.

The possibility that a self-conditioning technique (self-hypnosis) added to traditional approach (diet, exercise and behavioral recommendations) will be effective in determining weight loss with respect to the traditional approach in subjects with a body mass index (BMI) between 35 and 50 kg/m2 will be studied.

Obesity is a serious health concern. Most lifestyle interventions fail over time; indeed, overeating often involves loss of control and compulsive behaviors.

Hypnosis could increase the ability to control emotional impulses. Self-conditioning techniques borrowed from hypnosis (self-hypnosis) increase self-control and self-management of emotions. Recent hypnosis techniques with a rapid-induction phase allow the trained patients to go into self-hypnosis in a few minutes and to repeat the experience in complete autonomy, employing a short time of the day only.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Able to give written informed consent
• BMI between 35 and 50 kg/m2
• Age 20-70 years

Exclusion Criteria:

• Current or previous mental disorders and/or on any psychotropic drug
• Insulin treatment
• Candidates for bariatric surgery
• Current (or discontinued for less than 6 months) treatment with anti-obesity drugs
• Patients at risk of heart failure, edema, ascites (heart diseases, chronic liver diseases, nephrotic syndrome, renal failure)
• Patients with untreated or uncompensated thyroid diseases