Body Image Makeovers

Michael says she was once a "bubbly, skinny" woman who occasionally worked as a model. After she gave birth to her son 13 years ago, she says she began putting on weight. "I went from being a cute little thing to a big pig," she says.

Her appearance makes her reluctant to do much of anything besides going to work and lying in bed. "It's easier to be in the bed than out there facing life, facing people," she says.

Gabriel, Michael's husband, says the real problem isn't her weight but how she feels about her weight. She regularly opts out of social situations like parties, he says. "The reason is because she's going to feel like everybody at the party is smaller than she is. And I don't feel that way, but that's how she feels."

Gabriel says Michael's feelings about her weight puts a real strain on their relationship. "Everyday I have to hear about how much she weighs and how much she used to weigh," he says. "It affects us even in bed, sexually."