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Updated: Jul 25, 2026

Control of Eating Behavior Using a Novel Feedback System
Published on: May 8, 2018
Treatment of binge eating with automatic word processing and self-hypnosis: a case report
Ran D Anbar1, Aaron D Savedoff
1Department of Pediatrics, State University of New York Upstate Medical University, 750 E. Adams St., Syracuse, NY 13210, USA. anbarr@upstate.edu
Abstract:
Binge eating frequently is related to emotional stress and mood problems. In this report, we describe a 16-year-old boy who utilized automatic word processing (AWP) and self-hypnosis techniques in treatment of his binge eating, and associated anxiety, insomnia, migraine headaches, nausea, and stomachaches. He was able to reduce his anxiety by gaining an understanding that it originated as a result of fear of failure. He developed a new cognitive strategy through AWP, after which his binge eating resolved and his other symptoms improved with the aid of self-hypnosis. Thus, AWP may have helped achieve resolution of his binge eating by uncovering the underlying psychological causes of his symptoms, and self-hypnosis may have given him a tool to implement a desired change in his behavior.
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