Abstract
One of themost important areas of treatment of obesity, which has gained importance in recent years, is the behavioralmodification in eating disorders. Behavio rmodification therapy is based on diet, exercise and behavioral therapy. Itis much more effective when it is supported by changing eating habits with individual or Group therapy and varioussupport methods (1). The purpose of the treatment of behavior modification is to regulate body weight of patients to changeeating behavior and to treat for improving the quality of life. The main purpose of the treatment is to change the eating andthe physical behavior not to treat or remove psychiatric disorders.An other aim in this treatment is to learn the reason ofthe behavior problem and also to teach the techniques of changes (2). Strategies were developed to provide long-term weightconservation in behavior modification therapy and the objectives are summarized below:1)Goalsetting2)Self monitoring3)Stimuluscontrol4)Self reward5)Foodsuggestions6)Alternativebehaviordevelopment7)Cognitivebehaviormodification(3). In a study revealed that the husbands, who wives to participated in the behavior intervention program, bécame moreaccurate observers of changes in their wives' eating habits and were observed as being more helpful to body weight loss thanwere non involved husbands (4). In another study children who completed the family-based behavior intervention programlost a significant amount of weight and reported significant improvements in depression, anxiety, and eating attitudes that weremaintained over time (5). Another study shows that life style interventions (behavioral modification treatment) can producelong term weight loss and improvement in fitness and sustained beneficial effects on cardiovascular diseases risk factors(6). In a study 3200 obese and over weight individuals with glucose intolerance separated to lifestyle intervention group,metformin Group and placebo group. End of the study highest body weight loss was observed at life style intervention group.Also, this study show that life style interventions can reduce the incidince of diabetes. The incidence of diabetes was reducedby 58 percent with the lifestyle intervention and by 31 percent with metformin, as compared with placebo (7).Consequentlyhealth expenditures are increasing due to diseases (cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, etc.) caused by obesity.For this reason,behavior modification therapy to be considered as the first treatment method for obese individuals, it can help to reduce healthexpenditures and also prevent diseases caused by obesity.
Biography:Gamze Akbulut has completed his PhD from Hacettepe University in 2008. She is Assoc. Prof. Dr. at Gazi University, Ankara,Turkey. She has published more than 100 articles, 6 hand books, 13 books on Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics.Osman Bozkurt graduated from Haliç University in 2013. He started master's degree at Gazi University, Turkey. His mastereducation is still on going. He works as a research assistant at Gazi University