Programs of behavior modification are demonstrably effective in promoting weight loss. When the specifics of an individual instance of minor obesity are clearly delineated, a number of different behavioral control methods help in taking weight off and keeping it off. There is wide agreement on the components of a complex self control program for the management of eating and weight loss (Craighead, Brownell & Horan, 1981). Behavior modification weight loss programs generally involve forms of contingency management and stimulus control, as well as the more or less direct manipulation of actual eating habits. The program described here includes a combination of techniques that have proven useful in a variety of laboratory studies and clinical trials.
The behavior targeted for control is overeating. The behavior targeted for increase therefore consists of positive eating habits. For the present purposes, overeating is defined as eating in excess of the amount required for healthy living such that one's weight is greater than desired. In this instance, the individual is habitual 10 to 15 pounds over her "ideal" weight, a condition classifiable as "mild obesity."
Behavior modification programs for weight loss are most useful for individuals who are mildly obese (Foreyt, 1987). Such programs are more than diets because they emphasize long term improvements in eating and often in exercise behavior (Hoerr, Nelson & Essex Sorlie, 1988; Johnson & Corrigan, 1987). They have the dual goal of fostering weight loss and instilling permanent changes in behavior that maintain the individual's weight at a healthy level.
It is understood that a major movitation for change in this area involves cosmetic considerations. Nevertheless, even minimal obesity is associated with health problems. In addition, there are a number of "psychological hazards," associated with being overweight. In particular, the form of mild obes...