Behavioral Treatment of Obesity

Behavioral treatment should be the first line of intervention for overweight and obese individuals. This paper provides an overview of the structure and principles of behavioral weight loss treatment. The short- and long-term effectiveness of this approach is reviewed. Strategies for improving weight loss maintenance are described, including prolonging contact between patients and providers (either in the clinic or via Internet or telephone), facilitating high amounts of physical activity, and combining lifestyle modification with pharmacotherapy. Finally, innovative programs that can be used to disseminate behavioral approaches beyond traditional academic settings are discussed.