There has been a lot in the news about the Federal Government finally paying attention to the epidemic of obesity sweeping the country. According to the Puget Sound Business Journal of November 27, 1998 the weight loss industry was raking in over $60 billion annually and growing. The Jenny Craig web site places it at $40 billion today and estimates $48.8 billion by 2006.

It boggled my mind when I tried to imagine $60 billion vs. $40 billion. According to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing the thickness of a $1dollar bill is 0.0043 inches. Pile up 1000 of them and the stack is now 4.3 inches high. Pile up 1000 such stacks to reach $1 million dollars and the pile is 4300 inches or 358.3 feet high. To get to $1 billion we need 1000 such stacks. 1000 x 358.33 feet = 358,333 feet or 67.87 miles high. $60 billion would reach 4,072 miles into space while $40 billion only reaches 2,715 miles. On its side the “short” stack almost makes it from New York to Los Angeles (2800 miles)

There is no shortage of enterprises organized to cash in on this bonanza. Each has a convincing story and a ton of anecdotal “evidence” in support of their claims. America is the world leader in fast food and quick fixes. Television commercials offer more medicine per pill and faster relief followed by a hyper velocity spewing of potentially distressing side effects. Isn’t it about time that we learned the truth?

The complexity of the human body is such that with all the medical research to date, medical science can offer definite cures for only about 20% of the illnesses that afflict us. As much as all of us humans are alike with the same major organs functioning in much the same manner we are all different. The diversity in tastes, tolerance and allergies make the selection of a healthy and effective diet plan far from trivial.

One of my favorite old sayings (and I love old sayings) is that “If the only tool in your kit is a hammer then every problem looks like a nail. Considering the complexity of the human body and its nourishment, why would you attempt to correct a problem using only a single tool?

Have you ever tried to tighten or loosen a screw with firmly attached nut that turns with it? The solution is not to replace the screwdriver with different tool but to add a tool, such as a wrench, to compliment it.

The major craze sweeping the country today is the Atkins diet. I remember when it first became popular about 30 years ago. At that time just about every physician advised against it. Those of us who followed the diet, ate a lot of fat and lost a bunch of weight.

In addition LDL cholesterol (the bad stuff) levels remained low. In a very unscientific way we proved the doctors wrong – didn’t we? We didn’t notice the increase in the number of people developing blockages in their coronary arteries despite the low cholesterol levels. Most physicians today still do not recommend this diet and warn that following it for too long a period of time leads to problems such a heart attack, stroke and kidney failure.

So if you follow the Atkins diet for a short time to lose weight and you make no other changes in your life-style the odds are that you will regain the weight after you go back on your normal diet. Of course you could continue with the Atkins diet, maintain your weight and risk the aforementioned health problems.

There are a plethora of diet plans for weight reduction each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Pick one without the help of a skilled dietician or physician and you risk damaging your health. Achieve your desired weight, quit the diet, and in all likelihood you will pack it all back on.

On the web site of the USDA (http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/wgtloss.html) you will find the following statement under the heading of “Sensible Weight Maintenance Tips”:

“Losing weight may not be effortless, but it doesn't have to be complicated. To achieve long-term results, it's best to avoid quick-fix schemes and complex regimens. Focus instead on making modest changes to your life's daily routine.”

That’s certainly good advice. Reminds me of the famous advice to investors “Buy Low Sell High.” Also easy to say, but not so easy to do. How can you alter a behavior pattern that you’ve built over your lifetime? The answer is hypnotherapy – not as an alternative to a healthy diet plan but as a compliment to it.

Hypnotherapy is a tool that can help alter a person’s behavior patterns. For example it can eliminate (or drastically reduce) dependence on will-power and make following a diet very easy plus make new healthy eating habits the automatic preference. Exercise caution in selecting a diet plan because hypnosis can help a person follow a diet whether it’s healthy or not.

The bottom line is:

1. The FDA advises against using over-the-counter diet pills. They don’t regulate these products and can only ban those that are proven harmful.
2. Consult with your physician or dietician to devise a plan tailored to your body.
3. Use the services of a hypnotherapist to help you stay on the diet until you reach your goal weight and continue with hypnotherapy, as required, to make your new healthy eating patterns automatic.
   
    

This article was submitting by Hypnotic World's US Representative, Irwin Bluestein, CH

Irwin teaches sales powerful techniques drawn from the fields of hypnotism and Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) that will make customers want to do business with them.  You can read more about him on The Unfair Advantage page or contact Irwin directly at irwin@gis.net