Meanings of weighing female patients and their clinical implications

Severe weight loss is the chief characteristic of anorexia nervosa. Weight is also one of the important indicators for evaluating a client's recovery. I weighed all clients at their pre-treatment interview, the beginning of every family session, and at the termination session, and kept records based on follow-up telephone calls after family treatment ended. I found the process of weighing to be noteworthy not only as an instrumental task, but also as a reciprocal learning experience between the clients and myself. Also, my role as the "weigher" of the clients had unexpected effects on my peers, my family and myself. Implications for clinical practice were suggested: an apparently simple task like weighing should be understood in a larger context, including the client's individual circumstances and psychological responses, and the possible reciprocal effects on the professional and their families.