 Obesity/Weight Loss
o Accept the role of psychological or behavioral factors
in development of medical condition and focus on
resolution of these factors.
o Accept emotional care from those who care, without
pushing them away in anger.
o Medically stabilize physical condition (s) that may
contribute to obesity.
o Alter factors associated with obesity, including eating
behaviors, physical activity, and cognitions.
 Increase awareness by self-monitoring behaviors
associated with weight management.
 Assign the patient to record food intake
daily/weekly using journal, diary, or food
log.
 Assign the patient to record physical activity
daily/weekly.
 Assign the patient to record body weight
daily/weekly.
 Utilize stimulus control techniques to alter the
antecedents to eating and lack of physical activity.
 Assign the patient to keep problem foods out
of the house.
 Assign the patient to limit the time and place
of eating.
 Assist the patient in learning alternate
responses to conditioned stimuli for eating,
such as watching television or a movie while
eating.
 Use contingency management techniques to
reward actions that aid weight control (i.e.,
engaging in physical activity, not overeating)
 Provide verbal encouragement/praise.
 Assign the patient to utilize tangible rewards
such as money or clothing.
 Use cognitive restructuring to identify, challenge,
and replace the negative thoughts that contribute
to obesity.
 Assign patient to identify negative selfstatements through self-monitoring and then
assist patient in challenging these with
rational alternatives.
 Investigate prescriptions medications prescribed
to see if they cause weight gain as a side-effect.
 Conduct a thorough review of history to assess for
life events, past history of weight-loss attempts,
and psychological factors associated with obesity.
o Increase social support network (i.e., partner, peer,
friend, clinician) to facilitate weight loss.
 Assign patient to join a support group using a
commercial weight-loss program (joining with
friends or family members will result in greater
weight loss and compliance in short term).
 Assign patient to join a local walking groups.