ABSTRACT

Failure to cut back is perhaps the most common characteristic of processed food addiction (PFA) in obesogenic environments. Possibly due to an aggressive and ineffective diet industry in combination with stigmatization of the obese and ready availability of calorie-dense addictive foods, people are often motivated to reduce adipose tissue or "lose weight." Overweight and obese people are encouraged to attempt to cut back on their consumption of calories in order to achieve weight loss. Failure to cut back drives self-blame. Repeated episodes of dieting and weight cycling have been shown to make weight-loss more difficult. In assessing for failure to cut back, the practitioner will want to listen carefully for the client's feelings about the experience of failure to cut back, particularly self-blame, self-loathing, and shame. Recovery from failure to cut back can be tracked by discussion of instances of cravings, loss of control, and days of abstinence.