Chapter 15 Behavioral Approaches to the Treatment of Obesity

Chapter 15 – Behavioral Approaches to the Treatment of Obesity

Questions

1. What are the key components of behavioral treatment for obesity? 2. After behavioral treatment to promote weight loss, what is the typical pattern of weight changes in the year following treatment? 3. What information is likely to be used in sessions of behavioral treatment for obesity? 4. What are some of the techniques used during behavioral treatment of obesity and on what elements of the behaviors of the person do they focus? 5. What are some of the diets that can be used in conjunction with behavioral therapy? 6. How can the change in level of physical activity be simply monitored during therapy?

Understanding Obesity: Biological, Psychological and Cultural Influences. Edited by Sharon Akabas, Sally Ann Lederman and Barbara J. Moore. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Published 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Chapter 15 – Behavioral Approaches to the Treatment of Obesity

Answers

1. Behavioral treatment of obesity typically includes monitoring eating, physical activity and weight; assisting with stimulus control; problem solving; cognitive restructuring; and relapse prevention. 2. The amount lost depends on the duration of treatment, but most people regain the lost weight in the year following treatment termination. However, a subset will maintain an amount of weight loss sufficient to lower the risk of diseases associated with obesity (i.e., about 10%). 3. Treatment sessions generally base the session’s discussion on information about recent weight changes, recent eating experiences and their context, and foods eaten on those occasions. 4. Functional analysis examines the antecedents and consequences of problem behaviors; cognitive restructuring attempts to change negative thinking; training for relapse prevention is aimed at preparing the subject for the behavioral challenges that are likely once treatment ends. 5. A variety of diets can be used during behavioral treatment, including very-low- calorie diets, meal replacement diets, those emphasizing portion control, or low- energy-density diets. 6. By use of a pedometer, increases in activity can be seen, and targets for activity levels set in terms of increased number of steps taken per day. This is helpful because increasing physical activity is a key part of enabling weight loss during therapy.

Understanding Obesity: Biological, Psychological and Cultural Influences. Edited by Sharon Akabas, Sally Ann Lederman and Barbara J. Moore. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Published 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.