People's food choices are determined by both biological and psychosocial factors. Eating not only satisfies biological needs of hunger and thirst, but also fulfills symbolic, moral, and culturally defined functions.

Related to diet is the issue of weight control. Genetic and psychosocial factors, as well as consuming more calories than necessary, contribute to excessive weight gain. Every organism has an encoded set point within it that strives to maintain a certain weight. When weight begins to change, the organism takes corrective measures that are directly linked to metabolism. Each individual's metabolism is different. There are people who, if they drastically increase or decrease their calorie intake, will observe a corresponding change in their weight, and there are individuals who, no matter how much they change their dietary habits, will not notice any significant difference. Our metabolism, like all autonomous, automatic biological functions, is controlled by what we call the "subconscious" or, alternatively, the "unconscious mind."

The amount of food that will be converted and utilized as energy, as well as the amount that will be stored as fat, is solely determined by the subconscious. Most weight issues are due to influences that the subconscious mind has experienced, meaning psychological programming that serves an unconscious goal and automatically determines the rate and functions of metabolism, as well as our habits regarding food consumption. 

Low self-confidence, anxiety, irritability, boredom, loneliness, disappointment, and a sense of unfulfillment are some of the emotions that function to express the needs and desires of the self. Widespread unpleasant emotional states are nurtured behind eating disorders.

Food, apart from its utility as sustenance, is physiologically linked to emotional factors. Many times, individuals find themselves unable to exercise discipline in consuming food, whether in terms of quality or quantity. The term "emotional eating" is used in cases where the brain has become accustomed to using it as the sole method to address emotional states or deficiencies. This brain mechanism then redirects the individual and their behavior, compelling them to resort to weight gain and ultimately obesity.

Υπάρχουν ορισμένοι ψυχοσυναισθηματικοί παράγοντες που μπορεί να σχετίζονται με την επιθυμία του ατόμου να καταναλώνει τεράστιες ποσότητες φαγητού.Specifically, identification with someone we subconsciously admire, who may be overweight, feelings of rejection that lead us to consume food in order to re-experience the early emotions of security and acceptance, feelings of emptiness and futility, feelings of insecurity, a need for self-punishment, a need to punish the spouse in cases of authoritarianism and violence, avoidance of sex as the person becomes unattractive, lack of sexual satisfaction, fear of being helpless, ingrained unconscious beliefs such as "eat to grow up".

The obesity It is a phenomenon that concerns both children and adults. Many sufferers, in fact, focus on how to lose excess weight rather than the reasons they gained it. This results in losing weight through exhausting dieting efforts and easily regaining it. The reason is that for a period of time, conscious determination and the desire to strictly follow the instructions of a particular dietitian prevail, but this desire unintentionally lasts for a short period of time. The weight may be lost, but it is a given that it will be regained. Behind this process lies the powerful functioning of the subconscious, which overrides the conscious mind. Therefore, diets may win small battles, but they rarely win the war, as they represent a conflicting state between the conscious and the unconscious of the individual. On one hand, there is the desire of the conscious mind, and on the other hand, there is what should be done. 

The only way for a permanent change is to modify these unconscious programming at their root, meaning within the unconscious mind itself.

The therapeutic role of Clinical Hypnotherapy in emotional overeating.

Clinical Hypnotherapy is a comprehensive, short-term therapeutic strategy that aims to quickly and safely find a solution to the problem, as effectively as possible. The psychological or psychosomatic issues we face are often simply the result of a deeper underlying cognitive/emotional cause. Clinical hypnotherapy specifically targets this deeper level in order to provide a solution. The ease of access to the subconscious achieved during hypnosis allows for the utilization of untapped potential within the individual, which significantly aids in therapeutic change.

The therapeutic rationale behind clinical hypnotherapy is that what causes problems in our daily lives is the way we think and the corresponding emotions generated by our thoughts. However, the way we think and our corresponding emotions are what hinder our access to another level of thinking or consciousness where we can find the solution to the problem. Clinical hypnotherapy allows us to access this different level of consciousness and cognition.

In modern sleep therapy, it is recognized that the only "power" through which desired changes can be made within a therapeutic framework is found in the client's subconscious mind. Clinical Hypnotherapy facilitates a reconnection with the individual's experiential life. Negative or restrictive associations cease to be triggered, instead, associations filled with new personal abilities and strengths are activated.

Through deep therapeutic techniques of clinical hypnotherapy, we can identify and thoroughly process various psycho-emotional causes and factors that contribute to any of our eating difficulties, releasing unpleasant emotions, replenishing them, and nourishing ourselves with our true needs.