Virtual gastric band

The Virtual gastric band (VGB) is a procedure of hypnotherapy that makes the brain believe that the stomach is smaller than it really is, with the purpose of limiting the amount of food ingested.

History

The virtual gastric band is based on the idea of the gastric band. The concept was created by Martin and Marion Shirran of Elite Clinics and developed by John Maclean, the creator of the world leading Hypno-Band Weight Loss System (registered trademark) which has over 500 clinics in 23 countries and has appeared on CBS, MNBC, FOX, BBC, ITV, Channel 7 and most recently featured (June - July 2011) on Channel 4's Embarrassing Fat Bodies with Doctor Christian Jenner as well as many online and print media. As the original Virtual Gastric Band in UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand and more, The Hypno-Band has become the leader in the field of gastric band hypnotherapy. Other methods include Armando Scharovsky from Argentina and Sheila Granger from the UK. Granger's interpretation of the Virtual Gastric Band garnered interest from the media and the BBC when she began working alongside a National Health Service (NHS) general practitioner (GP) and ran a trial that proved 95% successful. Sheila claims having trained hypnotherapists in USA, Canada, Europe and Australia. Scharovsky claims the same for several countries in Latin America. The virtual gastric band is a concept used by many companies under a range of alternate guises including Slim-Think, Hypno-Band and Gastric Mind Band. No individual can claim ownership over the name "virtual gastric band" as it is a concept open to interpretation by any hypnotherapist although the Gastric Mind Band and Hypno-band are registered trademarks.

Technique

There are various methods using VGB techniques. The Hypno-Banduses a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy and hypnotherapy to help the client take control of their eating habits. It is important that the emotional and psychological reasons why the client overeats are addressed,

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.

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 US$772 on average.

Disadvantages

The treatment is not very well known and hence the results are yet to be widely confirmed. Yet, the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK includes hypnotherapy as part of its complementary and alternative medicines for IBS. Those who have tried VGB express it requires great discipline in the hypnopedia sessions, such that the changes in alimentary habits really happen. It is 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. Hypno-Band practitioners have successfully worked with thousands of clients across the world. UK Clinical Hypnotherapist Sheila Granger claims 95% success rate.