Psychological Obesity Treatment

When diets don't work against obesity, an eating disorder may be involved, such as compulsive overeating and/or other untreated psychological conditions. Several approaches to psychological obesity treatment are recommended in "The Binge Eating and Compulsive Overeating Workbook" by Carolyn Coker Ross, MD, MPH.

Types

• Traditional "talk" therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and short-term interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) are several types of psychological obesity treatment.

About CBT

• Cognitive behavioral therapy is based on the concept that a person's thoughts rather than outside factors create behaviors such as binge eating. The therapy is intentionally brief (6 months or less) and focuses on changing thoughts.

About DBT

• Dialectical behavior therapy combines elements of CBT and Buddhist principles of mindfulness and awareness to help change how one reacts to stressful situations. Groups are utilized in DBT in addition to individual therapy.

Results of DBT

• Fifty-six percent of DBT patients studied by renowned DBT trainer and psychologist, Marsha Linehan, had stopped their binge eating behaviors 6 months after ending DBT.

Results of CBT and IPT

• Cognitive behavioral therapy and IPT are considered similarly effective psychological obesity treatments. A year after treatment, CBT patients usually reduce their binge days by 55 percent, and IPT patients experience a 50 percent binge reduction.

Significance

• Reduced binge eating and compulsive overeating usually lead to weight loss and an end to obesity.