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Lily Allen slims from size 12 to an eight by having her 'brain reprogrammed'

Lily Allen has gone from size 12 to size eight after several sessions with a Hypnotherapist, who she claims has reprogrammed her brain to enjoy healthy organic food and associate trips to the gym with feeling happy.

Allen, 22, is delighted with her new look and said: "After the hypnotism, I want to go to the gym every day, otherwise I feel really bad. I just want to get more toned and healthy. I'm really good about everything at the moment - I've never been happier."

The singer, daughter of actor Keith Allen, is not the first celebrity to turn to hypnotism to lose weight - model Sophie Dahl, singer Geri Halliwell and the Duchess of York have all done so.

(Daily Mail)

Why is Obesity such a problem?

Obesity does not result simply from over-eating and a lack of exercise but is a consequence of modern life, a government think-tank said on Wednesday.

Being overweight is a far more passive phenomenon than is often assumed, according to Foresight.

It found in a report that the technological revolution of the 20th century has led to weight gain becoming unavoidable for most people because our bodies and biological make-up are out of step with our surroundings.

"Stocking up on food was key to survival in prehistoric times, but now with energy-dense, cheap foods, labour-saving devices, motorised transport and sedentary work, obesity is rapidly becoming a consequence of modern life," said Sir David King, the government's chief scientific adviser and head of the Foresight programme.

The report, sponsored by the Department of Health, is the result of a two-year study into the causes of obesity involving almost 250 experts and scientists.

They predicted that the so-called obesity "epidemic" would take at least 30 years to reverse.

Until now, the government has concentrated on encouraging people, particularly children, to lead a healthier lifestyle, eating less fattening foods and taking more exercise.

But King said a wholesale change in attitudes was needed.

LONDON (Reuters)

Persecutor, Victim, or Rescuer?

Known as the "Drama Triangle", these three roles play into personal powerlessness in a type of Psychological "Game".

The Persecutor usually blames or criticizes the Victim and takes on the authoritarian stance of a critical parent. The Victim feels oppressed, powerless and helpless but instead of choosing to resolve or remove themselves from the situation, they seek to find a Rescuer in order to perpetuate this position. The Rescuer, normally a person who feels guilty if they do not help others, takes on a nurturing parent role and allows the Victim to enjoy the attention from them, causing a "Secondary Gain".

The Rescuer, now failing in their attempts to help the victim now feels dejected themselves and takes on the role of the Victim, the Victim now criticizing or blaming the (previously) Rescuer now takes on the role of Persecutor.

An important way to move away from this position is to uncover those negative beliefs we may have about ourselves and seek to resolve them, the next section covers this in more detail.

(Copyright Nick Davies 2007)

What's Your Life Script?

Some people have life scripts (a lot of the time they are unaware of) which they play over and over in their lives causing them pain or discomfort. You may have noticed a friend or colleague saying something like "I've met someone new, this time it'll be different!" and find yourself thinking "Where have I heard this before!" and before too long when things go awry, they'll say "Why does it always happen to me?"

When we are growing up we formulate understandings of patterns of behaviour in order to help us cope and survive in our world that we live in. Sometimes these understandings are influenced, both positively or negatively, by parents, teachers, or other people in a position of perceived authority.

The more significant and emotional the event, the more likely this event is to impact on our adult life if we continue to follow the pattern. In the example I used earlier, the person may have felt proud about achieving something as a child and after seeing one of her friends be shown positive attention, gone to seek recognition from a significant adult. However on this occasion the adult scalded them for bothering them which was not the result the child expected, thus leaving them feeling rejected and confused.

If the child experiences this outcome on other significant emotional occasions it may make an incorrect assumption that nobody loves them or no matter what they do they'll never be good enough, thus forming their negative life script.

Once a life script or pattern of behaviour is formed, the persons subconscious mind will look to replay this pattern each time incorrectly thinking that this is the outcome the person wants. This is why some people manage (subconsciously) to find those people or situations that will give them the outcomes they have experienced in the past again and again.

Fortunately the subconscious mind can be encouraged to change and re-educate itself with new information and learning with the help of some forms of therapy. I believe Hypnotherapy is the fastest and most effective treatment in situations such as these.

(Copyright Nick Davies 2007)

What motivates you?

Much research has been done over the years into the subject of motivation, what stimulus creates a desire to do something? Overall it has been agreed that people fall into two categories, those who move away from pain and those who move towards pleasure (stick and carrot motivations). "Ah that's me!" you may think but it's a little more complicated than that.

Dependant on the context i.e. be it in a family situation, work or maybe with a friend you may behave differently (because of your internal belief and value system). So in a situation say, like work you may do things because your boss tells you to and you worry about losing your job and this works for you, but other people will be motivated by promises of promotion or extra income and enjoy the extra work because of this.

Also people have different degrees of how much carrot (moving towards pleasure) and how much stick (moving away from pain) they prefer. So your boss could say if they knew you were mostly motivated by the carrot incentive but required a small amount of stick, "If you complete that work by Friday I am going to reward you all with free drinks at the bar, but if it's not done you will have to stay over Monday until it's done."

Imagine if you knew what motivated you, or if you knew what motivated those people in your life, how much easier would your life be?

(Copyright Nick Davies 2007)

Fears & Phobias: Social Phobias 

Picture the scene: You are wandering around a supermarket or shopping arcade on your own. As you walk about, you're sure everyone is watching you - and it scares and embarrasses you. You find your heart beating much faster than usual, your throat becomes dry, or you sweat - or a combination of all three. You don't know why it's happening and you can't do anything about it. You panic and you feel you have to leave. Eventually you'll completely avoid the place or situation that made you feel this way. If this sounds like you - and it happens a lot of the time - it could be that you have one of, or a combination of, the following:

Social phobia: This is a fear of being in situations (usually in public) that will involve the sufferer thinking they are being watched or judged in some way. They might feel extreme anxiety that they'll make a fool of themselves in public or continually fear that, by their actions, they'll be putting someone out. They might have very low self-esteem and be extremely self conscious about speaking in public, or meeting new people. They might also have a specific fear of being sick, crying or blushing in public.

Agoraphobia: This is often thought of as a fear of open spaces, but it's actually a fear of feeling anxious wherever the anxiety occurs. These don't always have to be big, open spaces. When someone always avoids a place or situation where anxiety crops up, they become agoraphobic and can't face leaving a place that feels safe to them.

Claustrophobia: Claustrophobia is usually described as a fear of enclosed places. But it's more like a fear of not having an easy escape route. Anyone who experiences this phobia will feel that the predominating feeling is a need to be able to get out or get home very quickly. Claustrophobia means that you might; Immediately look for the way out when you enter a room, dread the moment the doors click shut on a train, hate the thought of using a lift, find car journeys difficult - especially motorways - because of the lack of an easy escape route.

Panic Attacks

Panic Attack: A panic attack can be an extreme reaction to your phobia. They have a number of common symptoms like fast heartbeats, tightness in the throat, and dizziness. During a panic attack some people may also be convinced they are about to die and feel a complete and overwhelming need to get away from the situation they're in. These usually occur in late adolescence or early adulthood, but could happen at any stage of life.

Smoking - What do children want?

Children of smokers want their parents to stub out their cigarettes as part of New Year resolutions, according to a survey commissioned by the Childline charity. Giving up smoking was the single most popular pledge children picked for their parents in 2007 among 461 youngsters aged between 11 and 16. The poll also found that almost two thirds wanted their parents to listen more and 61 percent wanted to be consulted about decisions which affected their lives. (Yahoo! News)

Second Hand Smoke

Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt has announced that the smoking ban for all enclosed public places and workplaces will begin on July 1 next year. The measures are designed to protect everyone from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke when at work or at leisure, and make it easier for smokers to give up. She continued: "The scientific and medical evidence is clear - second-hand smoke kills, causing a range of serious medical conditions including lung cancer, heart disease, and sudden infant death syndrome in children. This legislation will help to prevent the unnecessary deaths caused every year from second-hand smoke, and recognises that there is absolutely no safe level of exposure".

What exactly is Stress?

Stress is the "wear and tear" our bodies experience as we adjust to our continually changing environment. It has physical and emotional effects on us and can create positive or negative feelings. As a positive influence, stress can help compel us to action. It can result in a fresh awareness and an exciting new perspective. As a negative influence, it can result in feelings of distrust, rejection, anger, and depression, which in turn can lead to health problems such as headaches, upset stomach, rashes, insomnia, ulcers, high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. With the death of a loved one, the birth of a child, a job promotion, or a new relationship, we experience stress as we readjust our lives. In so adjusting to different circumstances, stress will help or hinder us depending on how we react to it. The so-called "stress hormone" cortisol is released in the body during times of stress along with the hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine that constitute the "fight or flight" response to a perceived threat. Following the stressful or threatening event, epinephrine and norepinephrine levels return to normal, while cortisol levels can remain elevated over a longer time period. In fact, cortisol levels can remain persistently elevated in the body when a person is subjected to chronic stress.

How does cortisol influence weight gain? 

Cortisol has many actions in the body, and one ultimate goal of cortisol secretion is the provision of energy for the body. Cortisol stimulates fat and carbohydrate metabolism for fast energy, and stimulates insulin release and maintenance of blood sugar levels. The end result of these actions is an increase in appetite. Thus chronic stress, or poorly-managed stress, may lead to cortisol levels that stimulate your appetite, with the end result being weight gain or difficulty losing unwanted pounds. Cortisol not only promotes weight gain, but it can also affect where you put on the weight. Doctors have shown that stress and elevated cortisol tend to cause fat deposition in the abdominal area rather than in the hips. This fat deposition has been referred to as "toxic fat" since abdominal fat deposition is strongly correlated with the development of cadiovascular disease including heart attacks and strokes.

Obesity in the UK

The Government has recently released a study (10th October 2006) detailing how unhealthy large areas of the country are, the West Midlands being one of the worst areas. The report follows hot on the heels of other recent studies which shed a devastating light on the state of the nation’s health. The statistics, part of the Health Survey for England, also show how a total of 22% of girls and 19% of boys aged between two and 15 will be regarded as obese in four years, meaning the government will have missed its target to halt the spread of childhood obesity. Meanwhile, a third of all men will be obese, a figure rising from four to seven million in the next four years. In total, 38% of the population is expected to be obese by the end of the decade. Heart disease is still the UK’s biggest killer – one in five men and one in six woman will die from it – and it is directly linked to obesity and smoking. (MSN Health)

"Rushing meal times spells trouble for your stomach", says Yvonne Bishop-Weston, a nutritionist at Foods for Life. “Eating quickly means you aren’t chewing your food properly so it isn’t mixing with the essential enzymes for digestion found in saliva,” she says. “This means food isn’t properly broken down, so fewer nutrients are absorbed. It also causes fermentation in the gut.” In the short-term, this means indigestion and wind, but over time Bishop-Weston warns eating too quickly could be a cause behind developing food intolerances as well. (MSN Health)

Experts agree that smoking is the single biggest cause of cancer in the world. Smoking causes over a quarter of cancer deaths in developed countries. Around half of current smokers will be killed by their habit if they continue to smoke. And 25-40% of smokers will die in middle age. Smoking causes even more deaths from other respiratory diseases and heart conditions than from cancer 2. If current trends continue, scientists estimate that tobacco will kill about one billion people in the twenty-first century. (Cancer Research UK)

"The only people who lose weight and keep it off permanently are those who have made permanent changes to their own eating and exercise habits, and to those of their families." Deanne Jade reports, Principal of the National Centre of Eating Disorders. Dieters too often say or think things like: 'When I'm slim I'll never overeat again' or 'When I've lost this weight I'll go out and celebrate with a cream cake', or 'Why should I change the family eating habits just because I'm on a diet?' Too often those old eating habits will creep back in, no matter how much weight the dieter has lost, and in time they'll find themselves back at square one.

More and more buildings are now non-smoking so finding a place to smoke can be quite stressful. How many times have you felt anxious because you didn’t know when you were going to get your next cigarette? Think how nice it would be not to get stressed about where you can go to smoke. Smokers often feel guilty. You may be trying to hide your smoking from your partner or children. Have you seen people looking at you disapprovingly when you smoke in public? Sometimes feeling guilty about smoking means that you don't enjoy cigarettes as much as you did. Giving up could make you feel more in control and better about yourself. (Cancer Research UK)