The goal of obesity treatment has changed significantly in the past decade.
Where once the goal was a reduction to ideal weight, the current objective
is the achievement of a healthier weight. For many obese individuals, this
means losing as little as 5- 15% of their initial weight. This article bri
efly describes behavioural methods to help obese individuals modify their e
ating and activity habits in order to achieve these new goals. A review of
recent studies shows that patients treated by a comprehensive group behavio
ural programme lose approximately 9% of their initial weight in 20 weeks an
d, without further treatment, maintain a loss of 5% 1 year later. Methods o
f improving the maintenance of weight loss include increasing physical acti
vity, extending the length of behavioural treatment and, with appropriately
selected individuals, combining behavioural and pharmacological interventi
ons. The importance of helping obese individuals adopt realistic treatment
expectations is also discussed.