Article Review: Self Help and Long Term Behavior Therapy for Obesity

This article, Self-help and Long-term Behavior Therapy for Obesity Per J.D. Latner, G.T. Wilson, A.J. Stunkard, and M.L. Jackson. Behaviour Research and Therapy, Volume 40, Issue 7 July 2002, pages 805-812, was about the behavior modification techniques used by the people involved with the Trevose Behavior Modification Program dealing with obesity. There were two types of groups, there was the central group which was considered the original parent group, and then there were three satellite groups who were based in other locations to test different settings and groups of people. The satellite groups were formed in hopes of replicating the studies done previously with the central group including self help and support from others. The groups were run by volunteers only who were also members of the group, but have proven their success.

In order to be accepted into the program you needed to be between 25 and 100 pounds overweight, if you were in the satellite group the requirement was 20 to 80 pounds overweight, they could show no history of diabetes, and the most important factor was that they had never previously been in the group. The people met in groups of ten every week in order to go over techniques used in the behavior modification of obesity which included self monitoring of caloric intake, physical activity, and the modification of current eating habits.

The program was very strict, during the first five weeks of the program, the participants were screened. They had to submit food records, attend every meeting, and lose 15% of their weight loss goals, if they didn't meet all of these requirements, they were not allowed to participate anymore and could never reenter the group again. The people had to submit record of their self monitored food intake and monthly weight loss goals. If someone was going on vacation, they had to submit a request for time away from the group two weeks in advance and on the days which they should be attending a meeting, they had to record their weight and mail it to their leader. If the participants didn't follow the rules, they were permanently dismissed from the group.

The results seemed to show that the program was highly successful, those in the central group achieved their max weight loss after 30 months of treatment, and those in satellite groups reached their average weight loss after 24 months. People participated on average for 2.3 years, with some staying over 5 years. The average weight loss of participants at their last meeting was 13.7± 0.7% of their initial weight at the beginning of the program. After the first year the average weight loss of those still involved in the program was 18.0± 0.6% of the original weight, after two years the average was 19.0± .08%, and those who were still involved after 5 years had an average weight loss of 18.4± 1.1%. This just goes to show that the program was successful in the long run, while in most other programs people lose weight in the beginning, within a few years, most people put the weight back on but it wasn't the same in this case.

I believe the group was so successful in part because of how strictly the program was run. The high rates of weight loss shown from the program seem as though they were forced to look good because if the participants weren't following all the rules and meeting their goals, they were removed from the group, so obviously the program would look as though it had been very successful. The program was however successful, this was proven with the rates of weight loss even five years into the program. It must have forced these people to make changes to their every day lives if they were involved with the program for so many years but in the long run, I'm sure it paid off for certain people since obesity has become such a growing problem in the United States today.