Job security. Well folks, our jobs as hypnotists and NLPers, people who help others achieve their goals, is in no danger. In fact, it will be a growth industry for years to come, as long as we do not destroy it ourselves. I base this on some recent research.

1.) Aggressive efforts to stop people from smoking by the states are being cut back drastically. The current smoking rate of 24 % (which I think is low by 5 to 10%) could be reduced to around 10% if the aggressive stop smoking programs started in California, Massachusetts, Arizona, and Florida would be expanded nationwide. However the current economic slowdown has caused these and other states to cut back or eliminate these programs altogether.

These funds, raised from taxes on cigarettes and the health related settlements from the tobacco industry, are being put into the states general funds, and gone forever. Arizona is seeking to shift 10 million from the designated anti-smoking advertising into the general heath fund. Other states are following along. Many states have not spent one dollar of the millions they received for these programs from the tobacco industry in the effort to curb smoking.

In the first five years the California program ran (early 1990's), smoking declined statewide by almost eight packs per person per year. In the mid 1990's the program was cut and the decline in smoking slowed drastically. 59,000 fewer Californians died of heart disease than would have. As the efforts to stop smoking slow more people continue to smoke, and new younger people start. I would guess, in a totally unscientific way, that around 1/3 of the college age crowd smoke. I base this on doing things on the college campus scene, and seminars in college towns. This means people will always want to stop smoking. I also think more young women are smoking than young men. Our target group will shift, as a person, who starts smoking today, is a tougher client than ever before. (More on this later)

2 ) More American are overweight than ever. Yes, friends, we are fatter! I personally think all one needs to do is go to a mall, and you can see this for yourself. 80% of people over 25 report being overweight. That's right 80%! This figure has increased from 58% in 1983. Think about this, 8 out of every 10 people want to lose weight. They are looking for answers. We have the solution. (if you know how.) 58% have made serious attempts to lose weight. That's 6 out of 10! 33% of adults are 20% overweight; this is more than double 1983 when the number was 15%! In 1990 the number was 16%, and 22% in 1995, and now 33%. If your business grew this much lately you would be happy, but your waist? Remember this is also when the growth of low fat diets has exploded. People are replacing fat with sugar and carbohydrates and the results are fat, fatter, and fattest.

Type 2 diabetes

Hypertension

High blood cholesterol

Stroke

Heart disease

Depression

Cancer

Asthma

Gallbladder diseases

Complications in pregnancy

Dr. David Satcher, the Surgeon General of the Untied States, said obesity is reaching epidemic proportions. Obesity is defined as 25% over normal body weight.

I am personally concerned about the rise in child weight issues. Kids are getting fatter, and that usually means life long problems. They eat more and exercise less. Video games do not burn calories like outdoor sports. I was in a fast food place and watched a boy, who looked 30 pounds overweight now, order a double cheeseburger, fries, and a coke, and of course he made it the extra large. That is a lot of calories. I think he got winded as he walked to his table.

3.) According to a recent news item, somewhere between 1/4 to 1/3 of people under 21-report binge drinking! When you look at youth alcohol use, it has remained stable and even increased in the last few years. Some drug use is down, but the old stand by, alcohol has stayed with us. This means this problem will also remain into the future. Kids use the same reasons for drinking today as a generation ago, peer pressure and boredom. One needs only to look at some recent headlines, Student dies during alcohol hazing, Frat House Suspended, and on and on.

As you can see from the above we will have clients well into the future. The problem I see for our industry is from within. As I travel around I am shocked to see some of the "leaders" in our field who teach practice building and clinical aspects, who have no real office. Others have gone from hypnosis student, to Master Teacher and running schools, and they have never run a successful clinic. Still others who have never done Stop Smoking/Weight Loss groups are teaching seminars on this. I also believe it does not help our field when you see overweight, smoking hypnotists.

I can usually tell if a hypnotist has really worked with smokers. When I ask them what types of techniques they use, if they state they only use the super positive, healthy lungs, clean air approach, it lets me know they have not worked a lot with the current generation of smokers. Think about it. If a person is smoking today, and say they are 48, that means they have known the whole time that it is killing them and robbing them of quality of life. They have probably also seen a loved one die from a smoking related illness. It is harder than ever to smoke in public. You have to go outside in many work places, as well as other events. Smoking is seen as anti-social. It costs around 4 to 5 dollars a pack. Does this seem like the profile of a person who will respond to a touchy positive go toward health approach? If they are younger, it lets you know something of their mindset before you start.

When I go to conferences and hear hypnotists say they find it hard to earn a living in our field, I remember the above numbers. Then I am informed they have followed advice from someone who has never done hypnosis for a living himself or herself. One of the leaders in our field works a full time job unrelated to the practice of hypnosis. I think the rule of thumb should be, take advice only from those with experience. These hypnotists/NLPers realize that if clients do not come to their office or seminar, they do not eat. I actually heard one person say he will show you how to run a clinic, as "their real job", but then describe another job that "pays their bills." That, to me, is appalling. (The same applies if you work another job, rely on retirement, or any other income. Please do not claim expertise in building a practice. You do not see top flight surgeons work at Wal-Mart)