the last couple of cakes I have done have 'love handles' i.e. the fondant seems to push out slightly half way down the sides of the cake (where the cake is filled). I am not sure what I am doing differently that is causing this. Maybe too much filling?

Cakes need to settle before covering. Fill, crumb coat, let sit(several hours with something heavy on top or overnight).

There's a tutorial on youtube by SweetWiseInc where she teaches you how to fill and torte a cake etc. When she's done filling the cake she actually pushes down on the top layer gently but firmly to get any air bubbles out etc. That used to happen to me, but after I watched the video I've never had a problem again.

Here's the link to the tutorial

Could be to much frosting under the fondant. Sometimes I have to remind myself it is called a crumb coat for a reason

I watched another video that suggests you place your dam in about a half inch from the edge instead of placing it directly on the edge. When you press down on the top of the cake (before icing it) to settle the filling and get rid of extra air, the damn spreads out to the edge of the cake but not beyond. It's the filling or the dam that's causing the love handles.