‘Tapping’ hailed as cure for unhealthy food cravings

IT’S like acupuncture, only less invasive, and it’s being hailed as a cure for our fattening cravings. But does it actually work?

Sally Thibault (left) uses the tapping technique to cure people like Amy Bannatyne of chocolate addiction. Pic: Luke Marsden

THE tapping phenomenon is being hailed as the solution to the state’s obesity epidemic.

The “acupuncture without the needles” technique is reported to stop sugar cravings permanently within minutes.

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Bond University’s Dr Peta Stapleton is leading a world-first clinical trial into the impact of emotional freedom techniques, or tapping, in the treatment of food cravings in overweight and obese Queenslanders.

“Cravings for sweet foods are linked to weight gain, heart disease and type-2 diabetes,” she said.
“However this relatively new technique has been proved to release the underlying cause of sugar cravings. And it can happen in a matter of moments.

“Recent trial follow-ups showed participants lost an average of 6.4kg over six months, without major changes to their lifestyle.”

It involves using your fingers to tap on pressure points around the face and body to help lower cortisol levels – a stress hormone that is often responsible for weight gain, especially in people aged over 40.

Tapping practitioner Sally Thibault said the technique was a game-changer in controlling sugar cravings.

“As I reached my mid-50s… I found it especially hard to overcome cravings for sweet foods,” the former fitness instructor said.

In 2013, she was introduced to tapping.

“Since that one 10-minute session, I haven’t had any craving for sugar or chocolate for well over a year and have dropped 7kg without dieting,” she said.
“I am in better shape and have more energy now than when I was in my 30s.”

A one-on-one 90-minute session costs about $125.

“While the food cravings go very quickly, I teach and explain how it works so people can do it themselves,” Ms Thibault said.

Psychologist Amy Bannatyne is a self-confessed chocoholic and has been working with Prof Stapleton on the clinical trial.

“I was eating a bar of chocolate every day on the way home from work and was unable to break the habit,” she said.

“I wanted to experience personally. For me it was not about losing weight but breaking the habit of reaching for sugar when stressed. It really worked - chocolate doesn’t have that power over me now.”

Originally published as ‘Tapping’ hailed as cure for unhealthy food cravings