Extrait

Background and study aims In the UK it has been reported that 1 in 4 UK adults are obese and a further about 4 in 10 of men and 3 in 10 women are overweight. Excess weight is an increasing problem both to the health of the nation and individuals who are struggling to lose weight. Scientists agree that to lose weight it is necessary to eat fewer calories than their body uses in everyday living. Unfortunately, for many people, this is difficult.Hypnotherapy is a commonly used process of hypnosis, making suggestions to a person for therapeutic (health benefits) purposes. ‘Virtual gastric band’ hypnotherapy involves mind management techniques designed to form a new set of eating habits and although reported to have a 95% success rate in helping individuals to lose weight, the treatment is not very well known and the results yet to be confirmed. This study aims to show whether the ‘virtual gastric band’ hypnotherapy technique is an effective method in helping people to lose weight. The study will be carried out by a qualified hypnotherapist and dietitian who are both experienced in supporting weight management. Who can participate? Participants in this study will have expressed an interest in wanting to lose weight and will have not lost more than 5% of body weight in the last 6 months. Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measurement calculated using height and weight and is good way of checking if a person is of a healthy weight. In this study participants will need to have a BMI of over 27 which indicates that they are in the overweight category. They will not have been taking any medication for any chronic condition or any medications that may cause an increase or decrease in weight [e.g. steroids, beta blockers and diuretics (water tablets)]. They will also not have any history of eating disorders and have not experienced hypnotherapy for any other condition. What does the study involve? Once an individual has expressed an interest in taking part in the study, a patient information sheet will be sent. At least 7 days will be allowed between receiving the patient information sheet and attending the first visit. The first visit for all participants will be at 11 Salmon Grove, University of Hull, HU6 7SX. The nature of the study will be explained in depth and a health questionnaire will be completed where any past medical history and medication will be disclosed. Height and weight will be measured. Following this, participants will be asked to give informed consent and sign the consent form. Participants will then be allocated to either the group that will receive the ‘virtual gastric band’ hypnotherapy or the group that will receive the ‘relaxation’ hypnotherapy. This allocation will be decided by a specialised computer programme. The dates for both of the group sessions will be provided at this first visit. Participants must be able to attend all sessions. The ‘virtual gastric band’ hypnotherapy group sessions will involve a number of mind management techniques. The aim is not to get the individual to think that they have had a gastric band operation, but to help them manage portion sizes and form a new set of habits, that they can live with that enables weight loss. Guidelines are also given to the participants to follow. These guidelines are mainly around goal setting, eating three meals a day, exercise and mindful eating. During the relaxation hypnotherapy sessions, relaxation techniques will be taught. At the first session participants will receive a booklet to aid self directed weight loss. For both groups there will be 4 sessions (Weeks 1 to 4) that will last approximately 1 hour held at weekly intervals. There will be one further refresher session at week 8. Weight will then be taken at each session and then at weeks 16 and week 24. These two final measurements of weight will be taken at 11 Salmon Grove. What are the possible benefits and risks of participating? The possible benefit of taking part in this study is that an individual may lose weight. The only possible risk is that an individual may be upset if weight loss does not occur. Where is the study run from? All of the hypnotherapy group sessions will be held in the seminar room at the Sports Centre, University of Hull. When is study starting and how long is it expected to run for? The study started in March 2012 and will last for 6 months. Who is funding the study? The funding is provided by the Humber Obesity Nutrition Education and Innovation (HONEI) project, University of Hull. Who is the main contact? Claire Whitham [email protected]

Critère d'inclusion

• Overweight and obesity

Liens

• isrctn
• ictrp