Clinical Benefits of Emotional Freedom Techniques on Food Cravings at 12-Months Follow-Up

March 3, 2015 Food Cravings and Weight Loss

A 12 Month Follow Up Study on the Effectiveness of EFT on Food Cravings Reveals Significant Reductions in Weight, Body Mass Index (BMI), Food Cravings, Craving Restraint and Psychological Coping Ability

Citation: Stapleton, P., Sheldon, T., & Porter, B. (2012). Clinical benefits of emotional freedom techniques on food cravings at 12-months follow-up: A randomized controlled trial. Energy Psychology Journal, 4(1), 13-24. Click here for the Abstract http://goo.gl/mroGYW

Abstract

This randomized, single-blind, crossover trial tested whether participants who used Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) maintained reduced food cravings after 12-months and updates previously reported 6-month findings. Ninety-six overweight/obese adults were allocated to a 4-week EFT treatment or waitlist condition.

Degree of food craving, perceived power of food, restraint capabilities, and psychological symptoms were assessed pre- and posttest and at 12-month follow-up for collapsed groups. Significant improvements occurred in weight, body mass index, food cravings, subjective power of food, craving restraint, and psychological coping for EFT participants from pretest to 12 months (p < .05).

It appears EFT can result in participants maintaining reduced cravings over time and affect weight and BMI in overweight and obese individuals.

Editor’s Note

This study observed 96 overweight/obese adults who were assigned to either an EFT intervention or wait list group and received a two hour EFT session each week for 4 weeks with accompanying assigned EFT self-directed homework. This was a randomized, single-blind, crossover trial investigated whether EFT maintained reduced food cravings after 12 months. Researcher Peta Stapleton and colleagues assessed the participants before and after the four weeks of tapping sessions as well as 6 months and 12 months after the intervention. The results demonstrated statistically significant improvements were achieved in weight, body mass index, food cravings, craving restraint and psychological coping ability, indicating that “It appears EFT can result in “participants maintaining reduced cravings over time an affect eight and BMI in overweight and obese individuals.” A surprise to the researchers was that there were significant reductions in weight and BMI measured as occurring at 12 months follow up that was not apparent even at the 6 month follow-up!