The long-term objective of the proposed research is to find more effective treatments for obesity. Over 20 per cent of Americans are obese. Obesity is associated with increased risk for hypertension, diabetes, coronary artery disease, and cancer (National Research Council, 1989). No treatment for obesity has yet been found which is effective for more than a small fraction of those treated. There is evidence that many obese have symptoms of food dependence, characterized by self-regulatory deficits in eating behavior. This may contraindicate selfmanagement approaches, the current state of the art.
The specific aim of this study is to determine if a treatment based on a food dependence model is more effective than treatment based on a behavioral self-management model. A total of 240 moderately obese females will be randomly assigned to two 6-month treatment groups (N = 80 per group) or a waiting-list control (N = 80). The self-management group will receive behavioral self-management training. The food dependence group will receive therapy based on treatment for eating disorders, which assumes that self-regulatory deficits require cognitivebehavioral and peer social support interventions. All subjects will be contacted regularly over a one-year maintenance period. During treatment and the one-year maintenance period, mechanisms of change and relapse processes will be studied. Weight, social support, self-esteem, and symptoms of food dependence will be assessed at baseline, post-treatment and at one-year post-treatment follow-up.
| Reeves, R S; McPherson, R S; Nichaman, M Z et al. (2001) Nutrient intake of obese female binge eaters. J Am Diet Assoc 101:209-15 |
| Goodrick, G K; Pendleton, V R; Kimball, K T et al. (1999) Binge eating severity, self-concept, dieting self-efficacy and social support during treatment of binge eating disorder. Int J Eat Disord 26:295-300 |
| Pendleton, V R; Poston 2nd, W S; Goodrick, G K et al. (1998) The predictive validity of the Diet Readiness Test in a clinical population. Int J Eat Disord 24:363-9 |
| Goodrick, G K; Poston 2nd, W S; Kimball, K T et al. (1998) Nondieting versus dieting treatment for overweight binge-eating women. J Consult Clin Psychol 66:363-8 |
| Foreyt, J P; Poston 2nd, W S (1998) What is the role of cognitive-behavior therapy in patient management? Obes Res 6 Suppl 1:18S-22S |
| Poston 2nd, W S; Foreyt, J P; Borrell, L et al. (1998) Challenges in obesity management. South Med J 91:710-20 |
| Foreyt, J P; Poston 2nd, W S (1998) Obesity: a never-ending cycle? Int J Fertil Womens Med 43:111-6 |
| Foreyt, J P; Poston 2nd, W S (1998) The role of the behavioral counselor in obesity treatment. J Am Diet Assoc 98:S27-30 |
| Foreyt, J P; Goodrick, G K (1994) Impact on behavior therapy on weight loss. Am J Health Promot 8:466-8 |
| Foreyt, J P; Goodrick, G K (1993) Evidence for success of behavior modification in weight loss and control. Ann Intern Med 119:698-701 |
