Key points

Target weights prevent the individual who is recovering from learning to eat and live non-numerically.

They may seek to strengthen the therapeutic alliance, even though that depends primarily on recovery progress.

They may result from a fear of fat and of other extremes.

Target weight "colludes" with the values of the eating disorder being treated.

In this part of my miniseries on target weights (which started here ), I explore three ways in which they are presented as part of the solution but ultimately reinforce the problem, by propping up the numerical and fat-phobic underpinnings of anorexia.

4. Using a target weight strengthens the ideology of the numerical.

There are many wonderful things to aim for in recovery from an eating disorder : all kinds of ways to live

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