An NHS hospital is exploring the use of hypnosis to help severely obese children stop overeating, following a successful case study presented at the European Congress on Obesity. Celebrity hypnotist Paul McKenna has urged the NHS to roll out hypnosis for millions of children and adults to address Britain's obesity crisis.
Case Study: Hypnosis for a 13-Year-Old
Matthew Selman, a senior clinical psychologist at Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, reported that a 13-year-old boy with severe obesity underwent three 50-minute hypnosis sessions. The therapy aimed to help him "learn to eat for his body rather than his feelings" and resist the urge to snack after school. The boy continued self-hypnosis for four months, resulting in his BMI moving closer to the normal range for his age, his body fat percentage dropping from 66% to 55%, and improved anxiety scores.
Expert Opinions
Mr. Selman expressed optimism about hypnosis benefits, noting it is not for everyone but can lead to significant changes when it connects with a patient. Two other patients offered hypnosis alongside standard care did not respond well. He plans to expand the approach to better understand who can benefit.
Paul McKenna, 62, highlighted that medical professionals are increasingly recognizing the value of alternative approaches. He said, "Hypnotherapy for weight loss is a really good idea. Some people describe feeling like a switch flipped in their mind—they suddenly didn't want to eat as much, felt motivated to exercise, or became conscious of what they were eating." He added that doctors have publicly supported using these techniques in the NHS, which could save significant costs.
Clinical Hypnosis in the NHS
Clinical hypnosis involves guiding a patient into a state of heightened suggestibility and introducing therapeutic suggestions. It is currently used by some NHS practitioners for irritable bowel syndrome and chronic pain, but not for weight loss.
Broader Context
Around 16 million adults in the UK are living with obesity, and 23 million are overweight. Separate data presented at the same conference revealed that 6,500 children have been treated in NHS Complications of Excess Weight (CEW) services since their launch in 2021, with over 400 prescribed weight loss injections.
McKenna pioneered the Hypnotic Gastric Band technique, which guides patients to imagine their stomach has shrunk from the size of a football to a tennis ball. He noted, "It doesn't work for everyone every time, but it seems to work for most people most of the time."
The findings suggest that hypnosis could be a valuable tool in the fight against obesity, though further research is needed to identify which patients are most likely to benefit.
