Obesity in the UK is one of the top concerns for the government today. Obesity is when a person is so heavy, their weight is endangering their health. Diagnosis of obesity is by BMI (Body Mass Index) and the ideal BMI is between 20 and 25. A BMI of 25-30 is considered as overweight; a BMI of 30-35 is considered as obese (I); a BMI of 35-40 is considered as obese (II) and a BMI of 40+ is considered as mobidly obese (meaning that weight is an imminent danger to health). In some cases, however, BMI is not an accurate measure. A person who is very muscular may have a high BMI due to the weight of their muscles not because of an excess of fat.

Obesity occurs when more calories are eaten than the body actually requires. If the number of calories eaten is more than is burned off, the body stores the extra energy as fat. This is the body's way of preparing itself in case it faces starvation. However, starvation in developed countries, such as the UK, is extremely rare so the reserves are never used.

2/3 of adults in the UK are considered to be overweight or obese. Of that figure, 22% of men and 23% of women are obese. This means they are 2-3 stone overweight. Being obese has been linked to taking 9 years off the average lifespan. People who are obese are more likely to develop health-related conditions such as; diabetes, heart disease, stroke, osteoarthritis, high blood pressure, gallstones, infertility and depression. Due to the lack of exercise that comes with obesity, it is proven to contribute to 1/3 of cancers of the colon, breast, kidney and stomach.

Obesity develops from poor diet and lifestyle choices. Hypnosis uses techniques such as future orientation to help you reframe your perception of food and exercise. This involves seeing yourself having reached your goals in the future under hypnosis to help you stick to the healthier lifestyle choices.It also uses aversion techniques for specific foods and motivating suggestions. Prevention is better than cure so a healthy lifestyle and "will power" is needed to help you reach your goal weight, hypnosis can help you inforce this. Hypnosis is not a miracle cure; It is there to help you rid yourself of negative attitudes towards yourself as well as towards food and exercise.