Working therapeutically with obesity

In 2015, 58% of women and 68% of men were overweight or obese. In 2015/2016... over one in three children in year six were measured as obese or overweight (source: Government Statistical Service).

We must offer a full therapeutic approach to deal with obesity. A healthy eating plan is only the mere beginning of the solution. It is the beginning, in the same way as becoming sober is only the beginning of recovery for an alcoholic. When you just address the eating or sobriety, the individual is left with themselves. They are left with a person who has relied on alcohol or food as a source of comfort, coping, escape route or emotional crutch etc.

Once this 'crutch' has been removed, the person will inevitably 'fall over' because that is what happens when someone has their crutch removed from them. Therapeutic work, addressing the psychological, emotional, social and spiritual aspect of the individual will help someone cope with life with a different set of coping tools.

They will have the opportunity to explore deep-rooted belief systems and triggers. They will be given a set of coping tools to deal with life stuff. They will learn and understand innate behaviours that will need to change in order to release themselves and find freedom from the need and craving to overeat.

By treating the whole person you are treating the whole problem because, at the end of the day, the actual problem is not the food and weight but the persons' inability to cope with emotions without their 'crutch'.