prescribing the symptom

Hallo everybody, I am curious about your thoughts re: "prescribing the symptom". Examples being suggesting to a hypnotized procrastinator to purposefully procrastinate even more, or (as I read Erickson once did) instructing an obese over-eater to gain weight to the point that they were absolutely miserable.

I can understand how and why this might be an effective tactic in certain cases. But it seems to be a fairly high-risk tactic, for at least two reasons:

a) what if the suggestion only is put into effect half-way, meaning that the client increases their negative behavior as suggested... but never gets to the point where the negative behavior becomes uncomfortable enough to be the target of "resistance".

b) how would client feel about this sort of tactic? might not they get kind of confused and irritated that a hypnotist is telling them to increase their negative behavior or feelings? but if the rationale behind this tactic is explained to them, that would seem to cancel out the possible effectiveness of it.

Another reason I am uncertain of this approach, although I can imagine it being valuable, is that maybe it is more appropriate for someone with a more thorough counseling/therapeutic relationship and background (like Erickson), someone who is equipped to handle possible unintended effects, rather than someone like me who is "just" a hypnotist? Or maybe I am just wimping-out.

What dost thou thinkest of this matter?