Virtual gastric band
An editor has nominated this article for deletion. You are welcome to participate in the deletion discussion, which will decide whether or not to retain it. |
The Virtual gastric band is a procedure of hypnotherapy that makes believe the brain that the stomach is smaller than it really is, with the purpose of limiting the amount of food ingested.
History
Two therapists claim the creation of VGB technique. Armando Scharovsky from Argentina and Sheila Granger from the UK. Granger claims having trained hypnotherapists in USA, Europe and Australia. Scharovsky claims the same for several countries in Latin America.
Technique
The procedure used more often consists in making a session of hypnosis followed by sessions of Re-hypnosis. During the hypnosis session the brain is ordered to believe the stomach is smaller than it really is and the hipnopedia sessions are used to reinforce improvements in alimentary habits. As a consequence, the ingestion of food is limited in a virtual way, which produces as a result loss of weight. After the process, some reinforcements are made via psychological treatment for the management of anxiety.
Hypnosis as therapy
One of the most common areas of controversy of is the use of hypnosis as a tool for an effective therapy. In a study made in 1996 in which hypnosis was combined with a cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) it was found that people who used both treatments lost more weight than people that only used CBT.[1]
Advantages
The gastric virtual band procedure does not require surgery, and hence, for not being invasive, there is no trauma at all, neither hospitalization. Oh the other hand, the loss of weight is experienced since the beginning of treatment. Likewise, the patients treated with hypnosis in weight loss reduce costs of treatment in $772 US dollars in average. [2][3]
Disadvantages
The treatment is not very well known and hence the results are yet to be widely confirmed. Yet, the NHS includes hypnotherapy as part of its complementary and alternative medicines for obesity. Those who have tried VGB express it requires great discipline in the hypnopedia sessions, such that the changes in alimentary habits really happen. It's possible that for some people this is a limitation.
Effects or results
As opposed to other procedures requiring surgery, the VGB could represent meaningful losses of weight permanently since it focuses directly in the alimentary habits. UK Clinical Hypnotherapist Sheila Granger claims 95% success rate. [4]
References
- ^ Kirsch, Irving. "Hypnotic enhancement of cognitive-behavioural weight loss treatments : Another meta-reanalysis." Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. [1]
- ^ Montgomery GH, et al. "A Randomized Clinical Trial of a Brief Hypnosis Intervention to Control Side Effects in Breast Surgery Patients." J Natl Cancer Inst. 5 September 2007;99(17):1280-1.
- ^ Montgomery, Guy. "Reducing Pain After Surgery Via Hypnosis". Your Cancer Today
- ^ http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3065533/Fat-patients-hypnotised-to-think-thin.html The Sun: Fat Patients Hypnotised to think thin.