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Multidisciplinary Approach to Obesity Management: A Case Report
Published on: May 30, 2025
[Psychotherapy in obesity--a systematic review]
Sandra Becker1, Nora Rapps, Stephan Zipfel
1Abteilung für Psychosomatische Medizin und Psychotherapie, Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Tübingen.
Psychotherapie, Psychosomatik, Medizinische Psychologie
|October 20, 2007
Summary
Psychotherapy for obesity shows limited long-term success, with behavioral approaches offering short-term weight loss. Effective maintenance programs, especially internet-based ones, are crucial for lasting results in obesity management.
Area of Science:
- Medical Science
- Psychology
Background:
- Obesity is a chronic disease with severe health consequences and high mortality.
- Effective long-term treatment strategies for obesity are needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current research on psychotherapeutic treatments for obesity.
- To focus on the efficacy of behavioral approaches in obesity management.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of psychotherapeutic interventions for obesity.
- Analysis of studies on behavioral therapy, lifestyle modification, relaxation therapy, and hypnotherapy.
Main Results:
- Behavioral therapy and lifestyle modification yield average short-term weight loss of 10%.
- Long-term effects of these programs are often disappointing.
- Relaxation therapy and hypnotherapy show no decisive positive outcomes.
- Maintenance programs show potential for lasting behavioral changes and preventing weight regain.
Conclusions:
- Current psychotherapeutic approaches for obesity have limited long-term efficacy.
- Further research into effective, particularly internet-based, maintenance programs is essential for improved obesity care.
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