Gaining Weight as a Defence

Pam breezed into my office and made herself comfortable at my request.  She was an attractive, single lady of 39 but at only 5' feet 1 inch tall her excess weight made her look like a fully inflated round  balloon.

She told me about her daily eating and drinking plan which was well within acceptable levels - apart from the occasional boredom snacking in the evenings. 

Her family relationships were good and she had enjoyed a happy childhood; she also exercised regularly at the gym so why the weight issue?

Pam couldn't understand why she wasn't losing weight.  Her diet consisted of salad, vegetables, small portions of lean meat and fruit and drank mainly water and an odd glass of red wine at weekends.

As a therapist we have to trust that our clients are being truthful but we still reserve the right to take into consideration that they might be deluding themselves sometimes.