Behavioral approaches to the problems of obesity

Obesity is a complex and increasingly prevalent disorder that can confer a number of medical, social, and psychological difficulties. As a result, an array of treatment strategies falling under the generic umbrella of "behavi or therapy" have been developed and continue to be refined and expanded. In this article, different behavioral approaches to the problems of obesity a re outlined and reviewed, specifically, those that target (a) body weight o r composition, (b) lifestyle factors and other health-related variables, an d (c) related psychological variables such as self-esteem and assertiveness , as well as negative attitudes toward obese persons held by nonobese indiv iduals. For each of these targets of change, approaches to both individual- and group-level interventions are considered. Suggestions for future resea rch and clinical work are offered. Throughout, the importance of conceptual izing obesity as a multifaceted problem is underscored. The necessity for e xplicit target goals when attempting to modify behavior is also highlighted .