Being overweight or obese is a major source of distress for many people and it effects more than just their physical health. It can also cause emotional distress and discrimination.

To learn more about why we gain weight you can watch Professor Tim Noakes’ presentation Medical Aspects of the Low Carbohydrate Lifestyle given at a Low Carb Down Under event in Melbourne.  Low Carb Down Under has organized many events over the last few years where they have brought together some the world’s leading Scientists and Medical Doctors, including Prof. Noakes, to give talks on Obesity and Diabetes Management using LCHF (low carbohydrate, healthy fat) nutrition.  You can find an extensive range of their videos on YouTube by searching “Low Carb Down Under”.

Weight loss is impossible to achieve if the addiction to sugar and processed carbohydrates isn’t dealt with first.  Otherwise all efforts to stick to a low-carbohydrate diet, or any diet for that matter, to achieve weight loss and improve overall health will be impossible.  To overcome addictions, especially sugar addiction, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) has been the standard treatment, but the results have been poor or short-lived.  However, there is a new kid on the block, i.e. Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT/Tapping) which has shown impressive results in scientific trials. EFT (a.k.a. psychological acupuncture) reduces activity in an area of the brain called the Amygdala. This area acts like the smoke-alarm for stress and EFT has been shown in brain imaging studies to switch off this smoke alarm. Why is this helpful for reducing weight? EFT has been shown to reduce or eliminate food cravings (usually for sugar and junk food) and to also help people adhere to a healthy eating plan. Dr. Peta Stapleton, Associate Professor of Psychology at Bond University, describes some of the published trials using EFT for food cravings and weight issues in her Research Spotlight series.  Dr. Peta Stapleton has given a TED Talk on EFT/Tapping where she describes her research using EFT to treat food cravings. She also demonstrates the technique for the audience.