Lifestyle Choices

Depression Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)

CBT works on the basis that there is a close connection between thoughts (cognitions), feelings and behaviour. The treatment focuses on patterns of thinking that are negative and examines their underlying dysfunctional beliefs. For example, a person who i_sdepressed may have the belief: “I’m useless”. The underlying belief could be: “If I am not as competent as my colleague, I might as well resign from my job”. While the person in distress likely holds such beliefs with great conviction, with a therapist’s help, the individual is encouraged to view such beliefs as hypotheses rather than facts and to test out such beliefs. Furthermore, those in distress are encouraged to monitor and record the maladaptive thoughts which pop into their minds (called “negative automatic thoughts“). (more…)

The average member of Weight Watchers is 2¹/2 stone overweight. However, this number is high owing to the few obese members who push up the average. Most members have only a stone to lose. Do most of their members need to lose this weight or are they responding to media pressure to be thin?

Slimmer Clubs accept people with only a few pounds to lose. These women are encouraged to see these few pounds as a problem and something to get rid of. They are not asked why they want to be that little bit thinner.

The Cambridge diet is recommended for use by the severely overweight only, i.e. those about 50 per cent above the average weight for their height. Yet it is available to anyone who wants to lose weight — even if that person just sees themselves as fat.

Women who are not obese or even overweight also want to lose weight. They believe that if they could shed a few pounds their lives would be better and they would be happier people. These women also attend slimming clubs and read the dieting literature. (more…)