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Behaviorial Treatment for Overcoming Obesity Problems

Behavioral treatment for overcoming obesity problems is one of the primary components of almost any contemporary treatment program for obesity and weight problems. Weight problems are not simply a cause and effect process, feelings and behaviors are connected to how well people are able to control their weight and keep the weight off once they lose it. For many people, losing weight is a significant struggle and may be something that they fight with all of their life.

  1. Factors Affecting Weight

    • According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, several factors impact weight and weight loss. These include metabolism, hormones and genetic influences. Metabolic set point is the body's attempt to keep the body at a static weight, despite efforts to lose weight. Metabolic issues, such as thyroid problems, can also affect body weight. Hormones and endocrine problems can also affect weight. Individuals with diabetes, for example, often struggle with their weight even though they may have their blood sugar completely under control by using insulin.

    Behavioral Approaches

    • According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, behavioral treatment is one of the primary components of most weight loss programs. In many instances, behavioral treatments are a variation on the concepts of classic conditioning introduced to psychology in the mid 1950s. These concepts concluded that positive rewards for desired behaviors achieved far more than negative rewards. As a result, patients in programs using behavioral approaches are given positive strokes for losing weight and for altering their eating behaviors.

    Cognitive Approaches

    • Another approach, according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, is the use of cognitive therapy in combination with behavioral approaches. Cognitive approaches help patients determine the connection between their thoughts and feelings and their behaviors. Patients are usually asked to keep a journal of what they eat and when they eat. They are also asked to write about what they were feeling or thinking at the time they ate. In this manner, patients are able to begin to understand the connection between their weight issues, and their thoughts and feelings.

    Goals

    • One of the essential elements of most weight programs is the use of goals, according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Goals are often centered on weight loss, but they can also be centered on caloric intake or on actual food intake. In some cases, patients are directed to set goals that are more emotional in nature, such as not beating themselves up if they slip on their diet plan and eat something not on their approved food list.

    Food Provisions

    • One method of approaching weight loss is to provide behavioral treatment and to monitor food intake. This is accomplished through providing food as part of the program, according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. According to their published studies, individuals who participate in this type of program are often much more successful at losing and maintaining weight loss than those who participate in programs that only provide one type of treatment--food control or behavioral treatment.

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