Hypnotherapy is a process where therapists place a person into a state of total relaxation, during which they are more open to suggestion, where the therapist tells them ways they can change their behaviors, habits and emotions which then manifest when the person is fully conscious. Hypnosis has been used since the 18th century as a method of helping people with their problems and hypnotherapy for weight loss is among them.
Some research has shown that hypnosis can be more effective in helping people achieve weight loss than diet and exercise alone. The theory is that the mind can be influenced, through subconscious suggestion, to make changes to habits such as overeating but the effectiveness of this is still open to question. Hypnotherapy alone does not achieve significant results but is best used in combination with other weight loss techniques.