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Multidisciplinary Approach to Obesity pp 219–232Cite as

Therapeutic Education and Psychotherapy

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Abstract

Psychological factors play significant roles in both development and consequences of obesity.

Physicians and health workers must have the expertise to deal with psychological issues and manage the relationship with the obese patient.

Psychological traits or states, such as attachment style, response to stress, negative body image, low self-esteem, mood and personality disorders, impulsivity and emotion dysregulation, and interpersonal relationship difficulties, participate to determine overeating and are associated with obesity.

Overweight or obese people benefit from psychological interventions to enhance weight reduction, together with standard interventions on diet, exercise, and, when indicated, surgical therapy.

Among the psychotherapies of obesity, behaviour therapy and cognitive–behavioural therapy, as well as interpersonal therapy and dialectical behaviour therapy especially for binge-eating disorder, have evidence of effectiveness, while motivational interview and other psychotherapeutic approaches can enhance the possibilities of treatment.

More or less, effectiveness of psychotherapeutic treatments for specific subset of patients may depend on their different behaviours and psychological characteristics. Thus further studies are needed to better individuate the most effective model of psychotherapy for the specific type of obesity.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro per i Disturbi Alimentari – Casa di Cura San Rossore, Pisa, Italia

    Giovanni Gravina, Monica Palla, Carla Piccione & Grazia Nebbiai

  2. Center for Eating Disorders - Casa di Cura San Rossore, Pisa, Italy

    Giovanni Gravina, Monica Palla, Carla Piccione & Grazia Nebbiai

Authors
  1. Giovanni Gravina
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  2. Monica Palla
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  3. Carla Piccione
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  4. Grazia Nebbiai
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Giovanni Gravina .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Medical Pathophysiology, Endocrinology and Nutrition, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy

    Andrea Lenzi

  2. Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, Unit of Endocrinology, Foro Italico University, Rome, Italy

    Silvia Migliaccio

  3. Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Medical Pathophysiology, Endocrinology and Nutrition, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy

    Lorenzo Maria Donini

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Gravina, G., Palla, M., Piccione, C., Nebbiai, G. (2015). Therapeutic Education and Psychotherapy. In: Lenzi, A., Migliaccio, S., Donini, L. (eds) Multidisciplinary Approach to Obesity. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09045-0_20

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09045-0_20

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