According to a group of German researchers, we only have to look at pictures of delicious food to make us hungry.

Experts in Germany have found that the act of simply looking at images of tasty food is enough to change the level of the hormones that are responsible for controlling our appetite.

The study in question showed male volunteers pictures of delicious food and inedible objects whilst measuring their hormone levels at the same time.

The results of the research showed that levels of the appetite controlling hormone ghrelin, increased when the men were shown pictures of food – leading the experts who conducted the study to suggest that individuals looking to lose weight should avoid looking at appetising images of food.

Author of the study Petra Schüssler commented that the findings are the first to demonstrate that the release of ghrelin into the blood is also controlled by certain external factors.

‘We recommend that, where possible, individuals with weight problems should preferably avoid looking at images of appetising food.’ She said.

Study co-author Axel Steiger said that the scientific findings proving that the sight of delicious food could stimulate appetite, could mean that the presence of appetising food in the media could be contributing to weight increase in Western populations.

If you are struggling to keep your weight under control then hypnotherapy for weight loss could prove an effective tool in eliminating negative food messages.

For more information please visit our hypnotherapy for weight loss page and our gastric band hypnotherapy page to find out more.

View and comment on the original Daily Mail article.

A resolution within Westminster to tackle obesity or to improve the nation’s diet each January is as certain as a chicken laying eggs. So what do they have in store for us this New Year, and most importantly is it going travel the same route as most of the nation’s other resolutions…down the pan?

Unsurprisingly January 2012 marks the beginning of another celebrity chef led campaign targeted at improving the diet of the average citizen. This year, Ready Steady Cook chef Ainsley Harriott has jumped on the fruit and veg wagon and is the latest Government sponsored chef who is taking on the arduous task of trying to slow the speed at which the UK’s waistband is expanding.

The 2012 campaign involves the TV chef joining forced with Jamie Oliver and Lloyd Grossman to produce a cookbook of healthy “supermeals”, all of which come in at £5 and under in a bid to demonstrate how it is possible to eat healthily on a budget.

So far three large supermarket chains (Asda, Co-op and Aldi) have agreed to sell the ingredients needed at a discounted rate and four million recipe cards are set to be posted to families.

It is not yet known how much of a discount that chains will offer, but even so, Shadow Public Health minister Diane Abbott is already sceptical about it working – coining it “an advertisement for big business”.

If you are struggling to eat a healthy diet and can’t seem to shift your bad and unhealthy eating habits then you may wish to consider hypnotherapy. Hypnotherapy has proven to be an effective weight loss method for many individuals – retraining the mind to replace negative habits with new and more positive ones instead.

If you are interested in contacting a hypnotherapist in your local area, please visit the homepage and use the search tool to locate a qualified professional near you.

View and comment on the original Independent article.

According to figures from the European Union, England has the highest percentage of obese women in Europe.

Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union has found that of 19 European countries England has the highest number of obese women.

The data shows that between 2008 and 2009, 23.9% of UK women were recorded as being obese. These figures are based upon data from England, although many surveys suggest that the percentage of obese adults in the rest of the UK would push this figure up to 28%.

Obesity is the term used to describe anyone who has a Body Mass Index (BMI) that is above a certain level. The calculation used to determine BMI takes into account a persons height and weight and is intended to estimate the percentage of body fat they are carrying.

Health secretary Andrew Lansley recently spoke up about the rising obesity rates in the UK, and said that he hopes to see these percentages reduced by 2020.

Lansley has said that individuals should be more aware and honest with themselves about what they are eating and drinking and said that overall, Britain needs to be eating five billion fewer calories a day than at present.

Winter is a notoriously difficult time to lose weight. With Christmas treats now filling the shelves of supermarkets, special offers on unhealthy foods at every turn, and dark winter nights making comfort eating all the more appealing – it can be a struggle to get motivated.

If you are looking to lose weight but are struggling to do so alone then it may be worth considering hypnotherapy as an option. For information about weight loss hypnotherapy and gastric band hypnotherapy, please visit our fact-sheets to find out more. Alternatively, if you would like to discuss this matter directly with a hypnotherapist – visit our homepage and use the search tool to locate and contact a professional in your local area.

View and comment on the original BBC News article.

At the age of 25, Helena Cameron weighed 20 stone and couldn’t walk to the car without her feet throbbing.

Helena first started piling on the pounds as a teenager. Anxiety problems caused her to binge eat junk food and gorge constantly on chocolate, crisps and fizzy drinks. She admits that she’d often eat a large pizza to herself during the night.

She would often feel reluctant to go out in public in case people stared or laughed at her.

Helena’s life changed in December 2008 when her grandmother became concerned and took action by contacting a personal trainer called David.

Along with David’s personal training regime, Helena went to psychotherapy and hypnotherapy sessions to help stop her binging.

By December 2010, Helena had lost a staggering 5 stone and quit her job as a child support worker in order to concentrate on losing weight.

Helena now works full time for David’s fitness firm Rapid Hypno Fitness and says: “Thanks to my grandmother, I feel amazing.”

If you would like to find out more about how hypnotherapy could help you to lose weight, please visit our page on Weight Loss.

View and comment on the original Daily Record article. 

According to experts from Oxford University, people living in England eat more fruit and vegetables and less fat and salt than Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish residents.

It is no secret that the average English diet is light years away from being perfect, but according to the latest figures, death rates in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland could be reduced by around 4,000 if residents were to follow an English style diet.

Experts from the Department of Public Health at the University of Oxford have said that numerous deaths could be prevented if Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland switched their diets to fall in line with the typical English diet.

Though the English diet is not the healthiest in the world, it is achievable for the rest of the UK and it could help to bridge the diet inequalities between nations.

Dr Peter Scarborough, lead researcher of the Health Promotion Research Group has said that the key dietary factor that is fuelling the mortality gap between England and the rest of the UK is the consumption of fruit and vegetables.

“Consumption of fruit and vegetables in Scotland is around 12% lower than in England, and consumption in Northern Ireland is about 20% lower than in England. Consumption levels in Wales are similar.’’ Said Scarborough.

Researchers believe that the best way to tackle this gap would be to introduce food taxes, in a similar move to that of countries such as Denmark, which introduced a tax on foods considered to be too high in saturated fat.

Speaking to the BBC, Dr Scarborough said that junk food taxes as well as subsidies being introduced for healthy foods such as fruit and vegetables, could play a role in addressing the inequalities in health across the UK.

If you are struggling to maintain a healthy diet you may benefit from consulting a hypnotherapist. Hypnotherapy has long since been used as a method for eliminating and altering bad habits and many individuals have found it to be successful in helping them to manage their weight. If you would like to find out more about weight loss hypnotherapy or gastric band hypnotherapy please visit our fact-sheets for more information.

Views and comment on the original BBC News article here.

Obese and overweight individuals often suffer from the sleep disorder, sleep apnoea, a condition which involves the shape of the throat and the airway. Excess weight around the neck can cause or worsen the condition as sufferers airways are sucked closed when they relax during sleep, causing breathing to halt so sufferers wake constantly throughout the night.

28st Diana MacLean from Dumfrieshire was diagnosed with the condition after she stopped breathing during a hospital stay. After waking up in an intensive care unit and eventually being discharged with continuous positive airway pressure, Diane decided it was time for a change and has since lost 13st during the past year. Since her dramatic weight loss, Diane’s sleep apnoea has disappeared and she is able to sleep soundly throughout the night.

Tom Mackay is a sleep disorder expert at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, and has reported what he describes as a ‘tidal wave’ of cases.

“Over the past five to 10 years we have noticed quite a rise in the number of people being referred to us.

“We are reaching capacity in terms of what we can cope with, and there is an undoubted link with people’s weight.” He said.

Dr Mackay is urging those who believe they may be suffering from a sleep disorder to visit their GP and undergo proper assessment and diagnosis so that they can then receive treatment.

Excess weight can be a key contributor in sleeps issues, so achieving a healthy weight is highly recommended. If you are overweight and are struggling to shed unwanted pounds then you may require some extra support. Hypnotherapy for weight loss, and gastric band hypnotherapy have proven successful alternative treatment options for many individuals, so if you would like to find out more about how they could help you, please visit their respective fact sheets.

View and comment on the original BBC News article.

This general rule, which tends to be what most dieters adhere to means that if you stick at it for a period of 12 months, you can expect to loose around 52Ibs. However, according to a study which has been published in health journal ‘The Lancet’, it takes much longer to lose this amount of weight – approximately three years.

The US researchers have said that the calculation used to work out this figure is fundamentally flawed as it fails to take into consideration the changes in the metabolism which occur as we diet.

Researchers have also said that the reason so many individuals fall back into old habits and regain their weight is because they have unrealistic expectations about weight loss which are almost impossible to achieve.

Research looking into outpatient weight loss programmes has shown that the vast majority of dieters reach their peak at around six months, after which weight loss slows or the weight begins to creep back on again.

At this point, many people believe the regain is due to the metabolism getting used to having less food and slowing, so they assume their eating programme is no longer working and slip back into old habits.

If you are one of the estimated 50 – 80% of dieters who have managed to shed pounds only to put them back on again then it may be you require some extra support. Hypnotherapy for weight loss can help individuals to understand their attitude towards food and will help to establish new and more positive eating habits. If you would like to find out more about how hypnotherapy could help you to lose weight, please visit our fact-sheets on weight loss hypnotherapy and gastric band hypnotherapy for more information. 

View the original BBC News article.

As obesity levels continue to rise at an alarming rate, fast food chains and restaurants take measures to try and raise awareness on the calorie content of their foods.

As part of the Health Responsibility Deal which is an initiative backed by the government, people are being encouraged to become more aware of what they are eating, and the contents of their food. As a result, fast food chains such as McDonald’s and other restaurants are taking measures to clearly display the calorie content of their meals.

This concept has actually been running in New York for some time now, with surveys suggesting that 15% of customers are embracing it by using the calorie content indicator. As a result, these customer were consuming a lower intake of calories, than those who chose not to pay attention to the calorie content.

At the moment, the levels of obesity are exceedingly high, costing the NHS millions of pounds each year. It looks likely that these levels will continue to increase if people do not become more aware of the consequences of obesity on their health. As a result of displaying the calorie content, consumers can make a more informed and healthy choice on the foods they intake. In the future, there may be a need to show all ingredients on the packaging.

McDonald’s conducted research on this subject, and found that 8 out of 10 customers agreed with the idea of displaying the calorie content on packaging. Just under 1 in 5 said it would have an affect on their eating habits.

View the original London Evening Standard article.

If you have any concerns or worries about obesity or other weight issues, you may want to look into hypnotherapy as a way of dealing with your issues. To find out more about how it could help you, please visit our fact sheet for further information.

The World Cancer Research Fund has released worrying statistics which show that there has been an increase of 20% in the number of people who have developed cancer in under 10 years. The overall figure now stands at 12 million per year. It also found that around one quarter of these are preventable, as they are caused by unhealthy lifestyles.

Incredibly, around 2.8 million of those with cancer have developed the illness due to bad diets, lack of exercise and obesity. If the trend continues, this figure will be likely to rise dramatically in the next 10 years. An ageing population has also been identified as a factor in this increase.

An adviser from the World Cancer Research Fund spoke of a lack of education and awareness on the effects of obesity and alcohol on health, with many people completely unaware that these can lead to cancer. Not only do these bad lifestyle choices increase the possibilities of getting cancer, they can also lead to other illnesses, such as diabetes, lung disease and heart disease.

The United Nations are due to hold a meeting in the near future to discuss these diseases, and make decisions on ways to tackle them, before they become even more problematic in the future.

View the original BBC News article.

If you are worried about your lifestyle and are looking to make changes, you may want to look into hypnotherapy as a way of dealing with your issues. To find out more about how it could help you, please visit our fact sheet for further information.

Obesity has been a huge global problem for a long time now, and it is one which does not seem to be improving. In fact, the levels are now described as epidemic, and are increasing year on year.

Jamie Oliver has been involved in raising awareness of obesity and healthy eating for several years now, starting with his strategy to make school dinners more nutritional. Jamie will join up with nutrition and health experts at a major debate at a UN medical conference, which will be held in New York. This will involve speaking to western unions, to try and get them to make raising awareness a key focus and to highlight it as a human rights issue.

The importance of this should not be understated. Shocking statistics show that diet related diseases are the reason for 2 out of 5 premature deaths, in those aged under 60 years of age. If this continues, the statistics will not make for pleasant reading. People need to be educated on healthy eating and the importance of a healthy lifestyle. The reasons for the obesity epidemic are down to the rise in convenience foods, and meals which are full of salt and sugar. A lack of exercise also contributes to obesity.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) have spoken about their concern over obesity and the possible life threatening dangers of it.

If you are worried about the effects of your over eating, you may want to look into hypnotherapy as a ways of dealing with these issues. To find out more about how it could help you, please visit our fact sheets on losing weight and gastric band hypnotherapy. 

View the original Guardian article.