With the alarming issue of obesity on the rise, more and more people are turning to alternative therapies to help them combat the battle against the bulge. Gary Craig, a Stanford engineer, has formulated a new technique that makes it easier for overweight individuals to overcome their attachment to food, and in the process start losing weight.



Based on the reason that overeating has an emotional component, EFT(Emotional Freedom Techniques) addresses this problem through the use of energy meridians or energy channels, the same channels utilized by traditional Chinese medicine and Aryuvedic medicine, which have been around for centuries. Craig reports that there are many cases where in the primary cause of the weight gain is an underlying emotional issue, like boredom, fear, anger, shame, resentment, etc. and these negative emotions cause an imbalance in the body's energy system. Unless the unbalanced state is addressed, the person will continue to eat as a coping mechanism, and will continue to gain weight. The best answer to this problem is to address the emotional issue that is causing the person to gain weight, and that can be successfully done with Emotional Freedom Techniques.

EFT therapy works by tapping a series of meridian points with the fingertips, which is a way to restore the body to its natural balance. Typically the vast majority report reduced food cravings following EFT. More and more health practitioners are incorporating the therapy in their quest to help patients lose weight.

Some patients state stress as one of the things that can trigger over-eating binges. With EFT, one can relax despite the stressful situation, thus ruling out the desire to over-eat.

Another approach is to use EFT to collapse the associations the patient has eating, e.g. a parent or grandparent who gave you sweets as a child as a sign of love, or getting special treats when you do well at school. Although with good intentions, these associations can leave us with problems in later life.

Probably one of the main reasons why EFT is one of the best solutions for overcoming weight gain is the fact that it is so easy to do. People who are overweight may sometimes find regular exercise too strenuous and exhausting. EFT is one way to start the weight-loss process in order for the individual to attain a weight which will allow him or her to start exercising on a regular basis and enjoy it. Also, EFT is inexpensive and needs no special gadgetry to become effective, and, there are no undesirable effects associated with the use of EFT. Unlike other weight-loss techniques, EFT does not use drugs or any kind of diets. All one needs is the willingness to undergo the treatment, an probably the guidance of a trained and competent EFT Practitioner. This is no longer a problem now, since more and more doctors and psychologists are adopting the therapy in treating patients plagued with both emotional and physical problems.

More and more physicians are recommending Emotional Freedom Techniques to their clients who need to lose weight, and some are hoping that with the continuing success of EFT, their colleagues will follow suit and start applying the treatment in their practice.