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Group therapy is tailor-made to address some of the problems eating disorders cause—loneliness, isolation, hopelessness. As someone found, just seeing other patients in the room shows a patient she is not alone and bolsters her confidence that therapy will be worthwhile. Patients gain hope by meeting others who have gotten better. Hearing other patient express feelings gives her the strength to speak out for herself. If two heads are better than one, imagine having half a dozen heads all working on the same problem!

After group sessions, patients lose the attitude that “nobody understands me,” because they’ve just encountered a lot of people who do understand. Another benefit is a rise in self-esteem. Patients begin to feel useful to other people. Their experience is respected, their advice is welcome. They sense they are helping one another, and thus begin to feel more effective and worthwhile as human beings.

In group therapy, a patient sees that others who are ñ about her health and who challenge her self-destructive behavior aren’t enemies. What a discovery! Ideally, she comes to realize that friends, loved ones, and other patients can be her allies in the struggle to get better.

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Jane Brennan’s family lost an entire person. Not literally, of course. But between the three of them—56- year-old Jane, her 57-year-old husband, Bob, and their 29-year-old daughter, Jennifer—they’ve taken off more than 150 pounds. They’ve done it by turning weight loss into a family affair, according to Jane.

It all started when Jane finally gave in to her daughter’s constant nagging to do something, anything, to slim down. Jane had put on about 60 pounds over the course of 17 years, going from a size 10 to a 16. And Jennifer seemed to be following in her mother’s footsteps, going from a size 8 to a size 16.

Together, mother and daughter went to Weight Watchers. As they started losing weight, Jane’s husband decided to get in on the act. Over the years, Bob’s own waistline had expanded from 38 inches to 42.

The threesome, from Broomall, Pennsylvania, were determined to take off and keep off the extra pounds. Every day, they compared notes about what they had eaten and how much. They exchanged ideas for keeping their eating habits on track—for example, munching on carrot sticks to fill up. As often as possible, they ate meals together. “No one was moaning and groaning, especially about what we had for dinner,” Jane says. “All of us had the same goal. We talked the same language.”

For Jane, who had tried to lose weight in the past, having the support of her family made all the difference. “I think there’s a definite advantage to losing weight with other people, especially those who share your eating times and rituals,” she says. “That way, you can encourage each other. You might have a bit of friendly competition, too.”

WINNING ACTION

Get your family involved. Ask everyone in your household to join you in your weight-loss efforts. When the entire family participates, meal planning becomes much easier. Plus, family members can support, encourage, and inspire one another.

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