- With Mayo Clinic nutritionist
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
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Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
As a specialty editor for the nutrition and healthy eating guide, Katherine Zeratsky helps you sort through the facts and figures, the fads and the hype to learn more about nutrition and diet.
A Marinette, Wis., native, Katherine is certified in dietetics by the state of Minnesota and the American Dietetic Association. She has been with Mayo Clinic since 1999.
She is active in nutrition-related curriculum and course development in wellness nutrition at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and nutrition education related to weight management and practical applications of nutrition-related lifestyle changes.
Other areas of interest include food and nutrition for all life stages, active lifestyles and the culinary arts.
She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, served a dietetic internship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and worked as a registered dietitian and health risk counselor at ThedaCare of Appleton, Wis., before joining the Mayo Clinic staff.
Weight-loss basics (6)
- Metabolism: What's the best way to boost it?
- Body fat: What happens to lost fat?
- Weight-loss hypnosis: Does it work?
- see all in Weight-loss basics
Diet plans (9)
- The Cookie Diet: Can it help you lose weight?
- The Special K diet: Helpful for weight loss?
- Coffee calories: Sabotaging your weight-loss goal?
- see all in Diet plans
Mayo Clinic diet (1)
- Weight loss: Better to cut calories or exercise more?
Diet and exercise (4)
- Weight loss: Better to cut calories or exercise more?
- Can I use yoga for weight loss?
- Negative calorie foods: Diet gimmick or weight-loss aid?
- see all in Diet and exercise
Diet pills, supplements and surgery (14)
- Phentermine for weight loss: Can it help?
- Hoodia: Does this dietary supplement help weight loss?
- Water retention: Are there any natural diuretics?
- see all in Diet pills, supplements and surgery
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Question
Weight-loss hypnosis: Does it work?
Is weight-loss hypnosis effective?
Answer
from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
Weight-loss hypnosis may help you shed an extra pound or two when it's used along with other weight-loss methods, such as diet and exercise or cognitive behavioral therapy. But it's hard to say definitively because there isn't enough solid scientific evidence about weight-loss hypnosis.
Hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness, like being in a trance. Hypnosis is usually done with the help of a hypnotherapist using verbal repetition and mental images. When you're under hypnosis, your attention is highly focused and you're more responsive to suggestions, including behavior changes that can help you lose weight. You can learn the proper hypnosis techniques so that you can practice weight-loss hypnosis on your own, without a hypnotherapist.
Through the years, some studies have evaluated the use of weight-loss hypnosis. Most studies showed only slight weight loss, with an average loss of about 6 pounds (2.72 kilograms). But the quality of some of these studies has been questioned, making it hard to determine the true effectiveness of weight-loss hypnosis.
Weight loss is usually best achieved with diet and exercise. If you've tried diet and exercise but are still struggling to meet your weight-loss goal, talk to your health care provider about other options or lifestyle changes that you can make. Don't rely only on weight-loss hypnosis because it's unlikely to lead to significantly more weight loss.
Next questionFast weight loss: What's wrong with it?
- Cherniack EP. Potential applications for alternative medicine to treat obesity in an aging population. Alternative Medicine Review. 2008;13:34.
- Definition of hypnosis. American Society of Clinical Hypnosis. http://www.asch.net/Public/GeneralInfoonHypnosis/DefinitionofHypnosis/tabid/134/Default.aspx. Accessed April 25, 2011.
- Shaw KA, et al. Psychological interventions for overweight or obesity. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2009;CD003818.
- Pittle MH, et al. Complementary therapies for reducing body weight: A systematic review. International Journal of Obesity. 2005;29:1030.
- Steyer T, et al. Complementary and alternative therapies for weight loss. Primary Care: Clinics in Office Practice. 2009;36:395.
- Hensrud DD (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. April 25, 2011.
- Zeratsky KA (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. April 26, 2011.
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