Losing weight without having to diet would be a dream come true — I wish there was a magic pill that would squash my longing for a Krispy Kreme doughnut.

What about alternative medicine? There are so many treatments that are not "mainstream" but could offer some solution and help millions of us control our weight.

Billions of dollars are being spent each year on things such as hypnosis, aromatherapy, acupuncture, herbal medicine, meal replacements, and other treatments. Something has to work, right?

Although I've heard many anecdotal stories of how these therapies changed people's dieting lives (at least in the short run), the clinical research doesn't support the claims that are made — with a few rare exceptions.

David Allison, professor at the Clinical Nutrition Research Center at the University of Alabama, looked at 18 alternative therapies for obesity. His conclusion? Basically, the studies lack the evidence necessary to provide even a smidgen of hope that these treatments work.

Although most experts are not impressed with the effectiveness of unconventional methods for losing weight — there are still elements that might offer hope in our "battle of the bulge."

AROMATHERAPY

This seems to be the most promising, mostly because smell is a critical component of taste, which directly relates to eating and satiety. Alan Hirsch, a neurologist and psychiatrist at the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation, started studying aromatherapy because of reports indicating that individuals who were losing their sense of smell ended up gaining significant amounts of weight (an average of 10 pounds). The logic was that if we gain weight by losing our sense of smell, perhaps we could lose weight by using our sense of smell.

Hirsch's research suggested that specific aromas can deprogram overweight people whose normal response to the smell of rich, unhealthy foods such as chocolate and doughnuts was to become hungry and overeat.

Hirsch tested the benefits of food odors to suppress appetite rather than stimulate appetite. Hirsch found that when overweight people inhaled sweet smells when hungry — such as banana, green apple and peppermint — they were able to lose 30 pounds in 6 months.

How do scents work to control your appetite? Odors enter your nose and are filtered through the olfactory bulb, which is connected to the satiety center in your brain. The satiety center interprets the odor and, in the case of sweet smells, informs your brain that you have eaten enough and are full.

While Hirsch's research looks like a strong case for aromatherapy, the successful results could be due to other reasons. Because people had to grab the inhaler instead of eating when they were hungry, they became more conscious of their food choices. It also reminded them not to eat; these factors may be why they lost weight — not necessarily because of the smell.

Another study, at St. George's Hospital in London, tested a skin aroma patch that released the aroma of vanilla to help reduce cravings for high-calorie sweet foods and drinks. The participants lost an average of 4 1/2 pounds in four weeks. The researchers speculated that very sweet smells release serotonin — a brain chemical that makes you "feel good" — similar to the effects of chocolate.

The study also suggested that you could use vanilla-scented candles to produce similar effects. I conducted my own "unofficial" test by putting 15 health-conscious individuals in a room with two vanilla candles and a few bags of candy to see what would happen. By the end of the session, most of the candy was gone.

HYPNOSIS

I was never a huge believer in hypnosis, especially as it was depicted in movies and television. But using it as a method for "suggestions" and "advice" in a relaxed environment — perhaps that has some merit.

In a treatment to lose weight, a hypnotist might suggest that the patient will no longer find overeating pleasurable or necessary. The idea is that once the mind is in a "relaxed" state, the mind is open and therefore willing to "hear" new concepts. It's simply a way of relaxing the subconscious mind and teaching clients a new way of thinking.

Unfortunately after reviewing more than 30 clinical studies on the topic, I found no conclusive evidence that hypnosis is an effective method for lose or control weight.

But, I wouldn't dismiss the process entirely. Hypnosis, when applied by a professional in combination with behavioral change and nutrition education, could increase your likelihood of losing weight. The main point here is that hypnotism might be a facilitator for someone who is already willing and excited to make a change.

ACUPUNCTURE

Acupuncture, used most often for pain relief, is a technique in which very thin needles of varying lengths are inserted through the skin to treat a variety of conditions.

The theory is that there are more than 2,000 acupuncture points on the human body, and that these connect with 12 main and eight secondary pathways called meridians. Chinese medicine practitioners believe these meridians conduct energy throughout the body.

OK, so what about losing weight? The claim is that acupuncture stimulates the auricular branch of the vagal nerve and raises serotonin levels, which suppresses appetite.

There is some evidence that acupuncture can help decrease pain, but regrettably, as a method of losing weight — well, none of the clinical studies support the claim.

The bottom line: If you think something will help you lose weight, often times that is what makes it work. There's something to be said for the placebo effect.

Charles Stuart Platkin is a nutrition and public-health advocate. Write to info@thedietdetective.com.