An Analysis of Behavioral Approaches to Obesity/Weight Reduction
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Western Michigan University ScholarWorks at WMU Master's Theses Graduate College 4-1981 An Analysis of Behavioral Approaches to Obesity/Weight Reduction Charlene Marie Curtis Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses Part of the Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy Commons Recommended Citation Curtis, Charlene Marie, "An Analysis of Behavioral Approaches to Obesity/Weight Reduction" (1981). Master's Theses. 1774. https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/1774 This Masters Thesis-Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate College at ScholarWorks at WMU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at WMU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. AN ANALYSIS OF BEHAVIORAL APPROACHES TO OBESITY/WEIGHT REDUCTION by Charlene Marie Curtis,M.A. A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of The Graduate College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Department of Psychology Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, Michigan April 1981 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. AN ANALYSIS OF BEHAVIORAL APPROACHES TO OBESITY/WEIGHT REDUCTION Charlene Marie Curtis, M.A. Western Michigan University, 1981 Behavioral technology has been applied to obesity/weight reduction. Three probTems are identified: (1) the discrepancy between the measurement of, and the duration of time required for the acquisition and remediation of obesity and of weight; (2) the con sensus of various reviewers that there are a number of methodological deficiencies in experimental studies termed behavioral approaches to obesity/weight reduction; (3) the absence of expressed methodological criteria stated by reviewers for their recommendations of certain procedures. There is compliance to some of the methodological crite ria of the experimental analysis of behavior as adapted to obesity, and to weight in the studies recommended by the reviewers. Four factors regulate human body weight: genetic inheritance and metabo lic processes; and eating and exercise behaviors which result from intellectual functioning, age, socio-economic status, environmental setting, and social control. These factors also affect therapeutic decisions. Opportunity for behavioral researchers to derive empiri cal data on eating and exercise behaviors of obese and overweight subjects exists among institutionalized populations. Until unequivo cal data become available, the integrity of behavioral science is served by clinical therapists targeting client control over client environment. Obesity/weight reduction programs are intrinsic in the obligation the medical profession has to its consumers. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Sincere appreciation is given to Christopher Koronakas, Ph.D. for the guidance, encouragement and patience he has given toward the completion of this thesis. Without his help i t is doubtful this thesis would be completed. I t is also appropriate to thank my "heavy-weight" husband of twenty-four years, Bill L. Curtis. Without his financial and physical support and his perserverence this point could not have been reached. For the immediate acceptance of the task of typing the final draft, my thanks go to my son-in-law, Michael L. Benedict. Finally, I thank my five children for their forbearance and tolerance of my preoccupation during the process of writing this thesis. Charlene Marie Curtis Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. INFORMATION TO USERS This was produced from a copy of a document sent to us for microfilming. While the most advanced technological means to photograph and reproduce this document have been used, the quality is heavily dependent upon the quality of the material submitted. The following explanation of techniques is provided to help you understand markings or notations which may appear on this reproduction. 1.The sign or “target” for pages apparently lacking from the document photographed is “Missing Page(s)”. 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TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................. ii INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................... 1 Theoretical Position ............................................................................... 3 Methodological Criteria for the Behavioral Study of Obesity ............... 4 Number of Subjects ............................................................................... 5 Duration of Study ................................................................................. 5 Treatment Outcome Reporting ............................................................... 5 Standard Improvement Criterion (dependent variable) ..................... 5 Procedures .............................................................................................. 6 Methodological Criteria for the Behavioral Study of Weight ................ 6 Number of Subjects ............................................................................... 6 Duration of Study ................................................................................. 6 Treatment Outcome Reporting ................................... 7 Standard Improvement Criterion (dependent variable) ..................... 7 Procedure ................................................................................................ 7 Survey of Reviewers ......................................................................... 8 Attrition ................................................................................................. 12 Standardized Improvement Criteria ..................................................... 13 Follow-ups ..........................................., .......... 15 Cost Effectiveness ................................................................................. 15 Research Strategies and Significance ........ ...........................................16 Reporting of Individual Differences and Behavioral Failures . 16 Overview ............................................................................................................ 16 i i i Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. EVALUATION OF SELECTED EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES ........................................... 18 Evaluation by the Criteria of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior 19 Abramson (1973): Commendations ....................................................... 19 Bel lack (1975): Commendations ......................................................... 29 Brightwell and Sloan (1977): Commendations ......................... 35 REGULATION OF HUMAN BODY WEIGHT ................................................................. 40 Experimentation With Animal Satiety Centers & Their Comparison to Human Eating Behaviors ................................................................................. 42 Biological Factors Influencing the Regulation of Human Body Weight . 44 The Effects of Social Control .................................................................... 46 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................. 50 The Complexity of Eating Behaviors ................................................. 54 Theory vs. R e a lity .................. 55 Environmental Observations .........................................................................