Per both groups, consisting of individuals suffering from both anorexia and obesity, I want to start each session with the same opening. It will go something like this:
“Hello group – My name is Heather Zearfoss and we will start today’s session with just a few quick key points on the effect of food on our lives. I am going to try and keep this as simple as possible so that everyone understands why exactly you are even hungry and why your body needs food. This will be important in understanding the role of it in your own life. First, let me start off by saying, everyone looks at food differently; however, many of you do not know why you may feel the way you do. Does anyone’s tummy ever rumble? It’s when you get very hungry and tummy starts making noises? That is actually your body’s way of telling you, EAT! Your poor tummy needs to be filled. There is a part in your brain that is sending signals to your belly to say, “FEED ME!” You want to eat throughout the day because as time goes on, your body is digesting the food and its constantly moving through the body. There are also many other reasons that you eat or don’t eat. Some people have emotional ties to eating, which means they may to eat to feel better. They may eat because they are happy, sad, bored, for comfort, honestly, any emotion can trigger you to eat. Another reason some individuals may be affected when it comes to food is because of society. Society really plays a role in the way that an individual can feel about themselves. We look at actress and actors in movies, on tv, in magazines and that may play a role in how we perceive “we” should look. A young girl thinks she may need to be stick thin size 0 if she is ever going to be perceived as beautiful and that is simply not true – beauty has no size. The peer pressure to not eat may affect someone also. If no one at lunch is eating, one