Shrink Wrap

I watched a really interesting programme tonight called Shrink Wrap… tonight it was Sharon Osbourne’s turn to have therapy with a TV therapist and they covered a whole manner of subjects. Obviously the subject of Sharon’s weight fluctuations were of the most interest to me. I know the insights the therapist had were wrapped up in the entirity of Sharon’s life experiences but I do think some of the insights were relevant to anybody who has struggled with their weight.

The therapist said that we sometimes put on weight as a way of getting noticed: if we feel insignificant, unimportant, have low self esteem etc a way of getting noticed is to physically take up more space in your environment as a way of saying, ‘look at me, I am here, I am important’, which I found quite interesting. She said it is on a completely sub-conscious level. To take this further, I would suggest once we get fat we find out that we are noticed even less (have you noticed how the bigger we become the more invisible we become?) and this fustrates us even more leaving us in bigger dispair.

Sharon said she used her weight as a shield. No one loves a fat person and therefore she could put a wall up – the fat was a physical wall – so no one could get close. This then feeds the myth that we think we are unlovable because we are fat but in fact we get fat because we cannot let ourselves acknowledge that we are lovable. I don’t know about you, but this rings bells for me.

I was raised as one of six (the eldest); 2 siblings and 3 step-siblings so I was never physically alone but through a lack of care and attention I felt incredibly lonely growing up. This could be a instigator as to why I want to take up more physical space; to give myself more importance. Who knows?

I do have theories as to why I got fat when I did, well not theories, I know why I got fat. It is not something I wish to talk about openly suffice it to say my fat became a shield of protection against being hurt… again.

Any thoughts? Do you know why you got fat?