In the UK over 30,000 deaths a year are caused by obesity. In May 2004, the Health Committee of the House of Commons published its report on obesity. It makes stark reading.

"Should the gloomier scenarios relating to obesity turn out to be true, the sight of amputees will become much more familiar in the streets of Britain. There will be many more blind people. There will be huge demand for kidney dialysis. The positive trends of recent decades in combating heart disease, partly the consequence of the decline in smoking, will be reversed. Indeed, this will be the first generation where children die before their parents as a consequence of childhood obesity.’ (Health Committee's Report on Obesity, 2004 p.11)

Counsellor's, psychotherapists, psychologists and all health and social care professionals need to understand and experience the diverse and challenging aspects of this rapidly developing issue. By adopting the unique approach of the Living Therapy series, using fictitious dialogue to illustrate the person-centred approach, the reader is able to experience directly the diverse and challenging issues surrounding patients. This is difficult to achieve with conventional textbooks.

This book focuses on the causes of obesity and how the person-centred approach to counselling and psychotherapy offers a genuinely relational response to enable people to come to terms with the causes of obesity. Issues dealt with include bullying and violence (victim and perpetrator), unwanted sexual interference, body size as a defence.

Counselling for Obesity provides vital insight for trainees and experienced counsellors, as well as for other professionals working with clients affected by being overweight. It will also be valuable to people who are themselves affected by obesity, their families and friends and all who work within agencies helping people who, for whatever reason, have developed this condition.

'Fascinating. Exceptional. Accurate. Richard sensitively captures the complexities of the process of weight loss by using fictional case studies to illustrate the intricacy of obesity management from all dimensions, with an emphasis on psychological processing. The case studies are fascinating. I am convinced that many professionals, and not only therapists, will find this book an invaluable resource for helping them to look beneath the surface of the symptoms of obesity and focus more on the contributing psychological factors. Only then can we say we will do our clients justice.' Kath Sharman, consultant in obesity management,programme facilitator for overweight children and adults.

Purchase direct from the author (see contact details), from the publisher - Routledge, or all on-line booksellers.