According to Dr. Mumtaz Maher, there are five stages of Living with Obesity

1.  Denial
2.  Anger
3.  Fear
4.  Grief

Acceptance
Obesity is a chronic illness/disease

Denial that obesity may be a real problem or may have serious consequences.

A normal response to this state is not to want to know about it. 
Eg: Not wanting to do something about it. Don’t listen to advice. Do not weigh yourself.

Anger at the image, anger when pointed at, anger at people wanting (offering) help, anger at the self for not dieting or exercising

Depression is a phase characterized by sadness, a sense of loss, despair, anxiety, not being able to wear smart clothes

Shortcuts for the short term include jumping on the treadmill, buying expensive weight loss programs, supplements

Acceptance: Operate on me tomorrow. Wanting to deal with the problem. This is the best time to counsel and offer help

A patient who is obese and comes for counseling and a patient who is obese and reaches for some other problem (the difference)