Gastric Hypno Band
The Virtual gastric band (VGB) is a procedure of hypnotherapy intended to make 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 surgical gastric band. There is
no certainty of its origins as the concept has been constructed in a number of
ways by various hypnotherapists the first of which were Martin & Marion
Shirran at the Elite Clinic in Spain, after world wide media attention
they registered the trade mark for the Gastric Mind Band in North America and
Europe. The Shirran's were invited to the USA to appear on various TV networks
at the time of the publishing of the book, Shirran's Solution - The Gastric Mind
Band (Author House 2010)Armando Scharovsky from Argentina and Sheila Granger
from the UK also claim to be the first to use the process. 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 to
have 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. However, some interpretations are more successful than
others.
Technique
The
procedure used more often consists of a session of hypnosis followed by sessions
of re-hypnosis. During the hypnosis session the brain is retrained to believe
the stomach is smaller than it really is and then hypnopedia 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. Several other
researches have shown similar positive impacts of
hypnosis.
Advantages
The
gastric virtual band procedure does not require surgery, and hence, there is no
physical trauma or need for hospitalization. It is also believed that loss of
weight can be experienced from the beginning of treatment. Hypnosis also has
reduced costs compared with surgery at around US$772 on
average.
Disadvantages
The
treatment is not very well known and hence the results are not yet widely
confirmed. Hypnotherapy is, however, included in the National Health Service
(NHS) in the UK as part of its complementary and alternative medicines for
obesity. Some of 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. UK clinical hypnotherapist Sheila Granger claims 95% success
rate however research or clinical trials supporting this have not yet been
published.
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 surgical gastric band. There is
no certainty of its origins as the concept has been constructed in a number of
ways by various hypnotherapists the first of which were Martin & Marion
Shirran at the Elite Clinic in Spain, after world wide media attention
they registered the trade mark for the Gastric Mind Band in North America and
Europe. The Shirran's were invited to the USA to appear on various TV networks
at the time of the publishing of the book, Shirran's Solution - The Gastric Mind
Band (Author House 2010)Armando Scharovsky from Argentina and Sheila Granger
from the UK also claim to be the first to use the process. 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 to
have 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. However, some interpretations are more successful than
others.
Technique
The
procedure used more often consists of a session of hypnosis followed by sessions
of re-hypnosis. During the hypnosis session the brain is retrained to believe
the stomach is smaller than it really is and then hypnopedia 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. Several other
researches have shown similar positive impacts of
hypnosis.
Advantages
The
gastric virtual band procedure does not require surgery, and hence, there is no
physical trauma or need for hospitalization. It is also believed that loss of
weight can be experienced from the beginning of treatment. Hypnosis also has
reduced costs compared with surgery at around US$772 on
average.
Disadvantages
The
treatment is not very well known and hence the results are not yet widely
confirmed. Hypnotherapy is, however, included in the National Health Service
(NHS) in the UK as part of its complementary and alternative medicines for
obesity. Some of 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. UK clinical hypnotherapist Sheila Granger claims 95% success
rate however research or clinical trials supporting this have not yet been
published.
