Obesity Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Obesity, including details on health, diet, prevention, exercise.

Behavior therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy of obesity: is there a difference?

Fabricatore AN

University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3309, USA. fabricat@mail.med.upenn.edu

Current practice guidelines for management of overweight and obesity recommend a program of diet, exercise, and behavior therapy for all persons with a body mass index (calculated as kg/m(2)) of at least 30 (and those with body mass index > or =25 plus two weight-related comorbidities). In this tripartite treatment--often referred to as lifestyle modification--behavior therapy provides a structure that facilitates meeting goals for energy intake and expenditure. Although standard behavior therapy reliably induces mean weight losses of approximately 10% of initial weight, these reductions are difficult to maintain. Some authors argue that a shift in focus from behavior change to cognitive change will improve long-term results of lifestyle modification programs. This review describes, in detail, the standard behavioral treatment of obesity and compares it with an alternative treatment model that is based in a cognitive conceptualization of weight control. A review of the literature suggests that the differences between standard behavior therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy of obesity lie more in their underlying theories than in their implementation. Empirical comparisons of the long-term effects of these approaches are needed.

Published 1 January 2007 in J Am Diet Assoc, 107(1): 92-9.
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