Psychological treatment for obesity

Obesity is a chronic disease. Current management is based in the modification of the lifestyle, mainly regarding to eating habits and physical activity. Eating habits are acquired during the childhood and kept through the entire life. Modification of any habit requires the use of specific psychological methods such as cognitive-behavioural therapy, which is based on first notions of learning theories. Very often, obese patients and therapist think that the obesity is a problem not related to other aspects of their lives. Thus the objective of the treatment is only weight loss, instead of looking for a modification of patient's behaviour. In the present review we try to update the treatment of obesity in adult patients mainly regarding to the psychological approach.