-IBIS-1.5.0-
rx
issues and approaches
checklist
psychospiritual approaches

definition

Examine these common reasons for overeating and payoffs for remaining overweight. Allow yourself to consider them honestly and check off those that might apply to you.

û I eat when I'm anxious or afraid of something.
û I eat when I'm bored.
û I eat when I'm depressed.
û I eat when I'm angry, especially if I can't or don't want to express my anger.
û When I feel lonely, I eat too much.
û I always eat a lot when I'm under stress.
û I just feel empty inside, and eating fills that emptiness.
û I eat to celebrate success.
û I eat to console myself for failure.
û I just plain love food. It's my greatest pleasure.
û It allows me to re-experience my mother's love. I was rewarded and comforted
with food.
û I hate to waste food. I want to get my money's worth.
û I eat to punish myself or someone else.
û I eat for social reasons, it's polite, it's expected of me.
û My weight problem gets me sympathy.
û Being overweight means I'm big instead of skinny and weak.
û Being big protects me, like armor. Others are kept at bay by my wide boundaries.
û My weight problem keeps my busy. If I didn't think about food and dieting, I'd be bored.
û Since I'm overweight, I don't have to worry about sex or unwanted sexual advances.
û Being overweight means I don't have to compete (sports, popularity, or sex interests)
û I'm too big to be seen in public, so I can avoid any scary social engagements.
û If I solved my weight problem, I'd have to so something about my job, my family, my smoking, or some other problem.

If you can think of any other reasons for overeating or staying overweight not listed here, add them to the list.
(Fanning, p. 67)

see:
addiction: psychosocial approach
affirmations: guidelines and precautions
behavior modification techniques
emotional tone scale
exploratory or mechanistic?
obesity: behavioral affirmations
obesity: checklist
obesity: treatment approaches
obesity: treatment phases
process paradigm
reframing
self-hypnosis
recovery: twelve step programs
imagery: bear journey
imagery: Mut and crone journey
imagery: over-eating


footnotes