Misleading Claims about Tapping for Weight Loss on The CBS Early Show

Today's CBS Early Show featured UK hypnotist Paul McKenna, who is also a highly enthusiastic fan of Thought Field Therapy (TFT). He is promoting the same weight loss program that he was in a Learning Channel series earlier this year that includes and some common-sense notions such as eating slowly that are hardly unique to his program, although he makes it appear as if it is. Note that I am saying "misleading" rather than out and out lying because at no time did McKenna actually lie. He simply made statements that could easily be misinterpreted, as I will illustrate below. That is the MO of a skillful manipulator.

First, he claimed that his program has a 70% success rate and is better than other weight loss programs which all have much lower success rates. What he fails to mention is that he did not conduct any peer reviewed published controlled clinical trials to support his claim and he doesn't tell us how he arrived at this figure. However, people watching him on the show could easily jump to the conclusion that this weight loss program has actually been properly tested through randomized clinical trials published in scientific peer reviewed journals when it has not.

He also did a demonstration of tapping to eliminate food cravings, which he claims was developed by an "American scientist". If people are lead by that description into thinking that means this is scientific, those people had better think again. He never mentioned the name TFT but of course he is referring to Roger Callahan, the person who invented TFT. Callahan, the so-called "American scientist" is a licensed PhD psychologist, but the fact one is a licensed psychologist is no guarantee that what he does will be scientific and there is nothing scientific about TFT. This is classic pseudoscience that uses catch phrases that make it appear scientific when it is far from it.

Note that McKenna is very clever in the way he presented this. At no time did he actually lie. However, the way he phrased things may very well lead people who don't know what kinds of critical questions to be asking, into some very faulty conclusions about TFT.

Looks like the new year has begun on the Early Show with serving us up with what Penn & Teller would call a steaming pile! The interviewers didn't seem to be taking the tapping very seriously but no doubt, TFT proponents will use this video as yet another anecdotal "success" story.
I propose a different way to start of the new year. Be a good consumer. When you see claims like this being made, ask questions. Questions that the interviewers could have asked McKenna but neglected to might have included:

• How did you arrive at the 70% success rate figure?

• Are there any published controlled clinical trials published in reputable peer reviewed journals demonstrating that your method is superior to other weight loss methods, as you claim?

• You say that your method is psychological. What, if any, credentials do you have in psychology?

• Who is the "American scientist" you refer to? What peer reviewed publications does he have of randomized controlled trials on this method that it actually works for weight loss? [HINT: The answer is none]

Shame on The Early Show for allowing this person to promote his program on your show without asking good questions. It seemed to all be a big joke to you, but based on some of the e-mails I have gotten over the years from people who strongly feel they have been burned by TFT and its unsupported claims, it is not very funny for the people who were taken in who in some cases threw away a good deal of their money going to therapists who made unsupported claims and left with the same problems they came with.

Comments

[Follower of Monica]

Wow... great work from a former scientologist.

I see they taught you well.

What do you do for a living - other than stalk people?

Look up Debra Frisch.

[Monica Pignotti]

To "follower of Monica":
You appear to be incapable of making a distinction between criticism/whistle blowing and stalking. Writing on ones own blog as I am doing is exercising free speech and in no way fits the definition of stalking. I have never sued anyone in my life, nor do I intend to so your attempts to associate me with Frisch are really lame. You appear to be obsessed with her.
I noticed you gave your URL as http://www.eft.com . Although the link doesn't work, it definitely shows people where you're coming from.
Oh and by the way, if you really are an EFT supporter and follower of Gary Craig, you should read the criticism he has on his website about Callahan and his $100,000 Voice Technology not being as advertised. He shares many of my views on Callahan's secrets.