Emotional Freedom Technique May Help Reduce Food Cravings

Psychological acupuncture has been shown to be successful in reducing food cravings for up to six months in people who are overweight or obese.

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) combines gentle tapping on pressure points while focussing on particular emotions and thoughts.

Psychologist Dr Peta Stapleton, an academic title holder in Griffith University’s School of Medicine, said that EFT was painless and easy to learn.

Her research also showed the impact on food cravings was almost immediate and long lasting. Food cravings significantly reduced after just four, two-hour sessions and were maintained at a six-month follow-up.

“Participants in the trial were surprised by how quickly the technique works – that it doesn’t take a lot of time to eliminate food cravings they may have had for many years,” Dr Stapleton said.

She said common cravings were for sweet carbohydrates such as cakes and chocolate or salty foods such as chips and savoury biscuits. Read more