Hypnotizability, attitudes toward eating, and concern with body size in a female college population

In this study we investigated the relationship between hypnotizability and attitudes towards food intake. One hundred and two female college students (mean age 21) completed the Eating Attitudes Test and the Goldfarb Fear-of-Fat Scale, and were assessed for hypnotizability on the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility. The results indicated that level of hypnotizability was related to attitudes toward food intake and the fear of becoming overweight. The findings support the thesis that hypnotizability may be one of a variety of predisposing factors in the development and maintenance of extreme attitudes towards eating and weight regulation. Implications for changing these attitudes are discussed.