
From the article:
From cutting meals to going under the knife, there are lots of ways to lose weight. Some work, some don't, but we found a couple who says they fooled their brains into thinking they had bariatric surgery. So is it hype or can it really help?
Every year 200-thousand Americans are stapling, banding, even removing part of their stomachs to beat the bulge. But Roy and Sue May spent about twelve-hundred dollars a piece on something else they believe is just as effective…hypnosis.
They were hypnotized into thinking they had gastric bypass surgery. "So I'm actually guiding them through the experience as if it were actually happening…. going to a hospital, meeting the nurse, having the anesthesia," said the hypnotist.
Combined the two have lost 160 pounds. They say it’s changed their lives completely. But Bariatric Surgeon, Ernest Rehnke isn't buying it. The doctor says only surgery can physically shrink the stomach, reducing the amount of food that can be eaten. It works for 80-percent of his patients. He doesn't believe hypnosis has that kind of power. "It's not going to work long term, you know, for them. They are going to end up reverting, you know, back to their habits of eating a little bit more, a little bit more," said Dr. Rehnke.
It seems to be helping Roy and Sue stay on course. They've kept the weight off for more than a year. But the question remains, how long will the hypno-surgery's effects really last? There are no studies on the effectiveness of Greenberg's hypno-surgery, only her figures and patient testimonies.
But there is a new report about bariatric surgery. While it can help reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease, research found it does not cut long-term healthcare costs.
The six year study found patients spent more money on hospital stays due to complications than they did on obesity related illnesses.