For a long time, we've wanted to change the name of our 'Psychological Approaches to Obesity' course. People often object to the word 'Obesity', unlike the word 'Fat' which is being reclaimed, promoted, and is often used by body positivity activists. We pondered and rejected quite a...
Do not delay! If someone has an eating disorder, the evidence is clear that early intervention is more likely to result in a successful recovery. Please don’t wait for a significant change in weight or behaviour. Don’t feel that you are being over dramatic. Start...
Advertising is everywhere. It’s such a normal part of modern life than we now accept it without question. If we want to read a newspaper article, we often have to sit through an advertisement or answer a question to be able to access the content....
by Bianca Skilbeck Coinciding with Body Image & Eating Disorder Awareness Week (BIEDAW) is the Butterfly Foundations “Love Your Body Week” which runs from 3rd-9th September. With that in mind, there is no better time than now to start to think about the ways in which you...
Ever wonder why your partner eats too much, even when you warn him or her not to? It could be precisely because your admonitions put your partner into a state of reactance, causing them to go against your advice just to prove their independence. Reactance is...
A couple of weeks ago I made an amazing discovery. Thanks to a facebook advertisement from a local health club, I now realise that I have two bodies; a winter body and a summer body. The summer body, is apparently made in the winter, so I’m...
Many people refer to themselves as compulsive eaters and say "I eat when I'm happy, and I eat when I'm sad", so it's worth considering what we can do to help understand the dissatisfied eater. Dissatisfied eaters eat heavily, need lots of variety, have a strong...
Many girls agree their mother has the biggest influence on their own self-image and they have adopted their mothers’ views on food and dieting. A 2009 magazine survey of 512 teenage girls with an average age of 14 found: 38% said their mother had the biggest influence...
1800s – A teeny tiny waist will make you the envy of all your friends, so a corset is a must-have for the ladies. The tighter, the better. The smelling salts are always at hand if you faint! 1863 – William Banting writes a pamphlet called...
Food labelling gives manufacturers a great opportunity to sell their product to you at a time when you are ready to buy, at the supermarket. Words like ‘Natural’ and ‘Goodness’ are often emblazoned on the front of the package in a bold font, whilst the actual...