ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the diagnosis of a client with obesity. Jenny, a 43-year-old woman with a BMI of 31.2kg/m2, was referred by her general practitioner (GP) for body image and weight concerns. Jenny reported feeling ashamed and self-conscious about her weight and has "tried everything" to lose weight, without success. In her early 30s, she joined a commercial weight loss program where she reached her goal weight and sustained it for six months. She has tried this, and similar diets over time, but has never lost more than a few kilograms and has always quickly regained any weight lost. The clinical interview was guided by the Weight and Lifestyle Inventory. As part of pre-treatment assessment, Jenny also completed a range of questionnaires assessing psychosocial factors commonly associated with obesity and disordered eating. Jenny's self-report questionnaires indicated improvements in depressive and anxious symptoms, reductions in weight and shape concerns and stress around eating and weight, and improvement in quality of life.
