ABSTRACT
Being overweight is not always just about overeating. Often it is the bigger body size that is psychologically necessary. This need arises from childhood experiences and related decisions about the self and others. The body becomes an illusionary protection against perceived threats that are based on real or imagined events occurring earlier in life. In a way, the sufferer pushes out the body boundaries to form a barrier against the world. Child sexual abuse, abuse of sexuality, the need to feel more powerful, fear of sexual relationships or advances from others of the opposite or same sex and hiding the “bad” self are all typical examples of where clients have unconsciously decided that it is beneficial to have a large body. It is important to explore this need. If it is present, losing weight will be almost impossible until the underlying psychological issues have been resolved. This chapter enables the reader to examine whether needing a large body size is at the centre of their eating.
