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Changing Eating Behaviors of Healthy Adults Through Hypnosis

Eating Behavior - Choice or Reconstruction of Past Experience? Changing Eating Behaviors of Healthy Adults Through Hypnotic Suggestions

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04178486
Enrollment
89
Registered
2019-11-26
Start date
2019-05-20
Completion date
2019-09-17
Last updated
2019-11-26

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Obesity, Overweight

Keywords

Overweight, Obesity, Weight loss, Hypnosis, Eating Behavior, Free Will

Brief summary

There is a lot of research on weight loss. In spite of the research on the subject, obesity is a growing disease all through the world. The results of recent reviews and meta-analyzes show that psychological interventions had small effect on weight loss. The investigators propose a different approach to changing eating behaviors with relevance to weight management and hypothesize that participants in the active interventions will significantly improve their eating behaviors than the ones in the control group. The results will improve the psychological interventions for weight loss.

Detailed description

This is a randomized clinical trial consisting of four groups. According to the concept of Free Will, the decision of action is taken before being acknowledged and is made following the reconstruction of previous experiences. It can be inhibited immediately (max 100ms) after awareness. The investigators want to intervene based on this model using hypnotic suggestions to change eating behaviors. Participants were found through social media announcements. Three groups receive one session of hypnosis with induction and different suggestions and the control group receives only induction. The eating behavior is measured through computer tasks in which participants have the option to choose pictures of food. The task is performed before, during and after hypnosis and the measurements of eating behavior are taken at all three times.

Interventions

BEHAVIORALHypnosis with amnesia suggestions

Participants received hypnotic induction with hypnotic suggestions for their eating behaviors.

BEHAVIORALHypnosis with cognitive rehearsal suggestions

Participants received hypnotic induction with hypnotic suggestions for their eating behaviors.

BEHAVIORALHypnosis with memory substitution suggestions

Participants received hypnotic induction with hypnotic suggestions for their eating behaviors.

BEHAVIORALHypnosis with induction only

Participants received only hypnotic induction.

Sponsors

Babes-Bolyai University
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)

Masking description

The participants were not informed in which group they are.

Intervention model description

Participants were randomized in one of the four groups.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

Both gender Healthy Adults who want to change their eating behavior

Exclusion criteria

Severe mental illness \<18 years A diagnosed eating disorder

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change in Eating BehaviorThe intervention is delivered in one session. The outcome is measured: immediately pre intervention (0-2 min), during intervention and immediately post intervention (0-2 min).The number of food pictures chosen by the participant in this single session intervention. The outcome is a measure assessing a change between three time points.

Countries

Romania

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026