Repeated measures in case studies relating social competence and weight loss in two obese adolescents.

Abstract

In individual behavior therapy two clients were evaluated using behavior categories created by t he therapist. Both clients were observed to improve in terms of social competence. One demonstrated a significant inverse correlation between improvement of social competence and weight loss during treatment (16 sessions) and lost weight. The other required longer treatment (40 sessions), but also demonstrated the same tendency of results at the end of intervention. Based on this evaluation, it was postulated that behavior therapy targeted to issues of social competence could be part of treatment for weight loss, and be combined with other therapeutic modalities.

Functional analysis of eating disorders.

“…In the case of eating problems, eating itself is often interrelated with emotional, familial, and social variables. It seems useful, then, to analyze the relations between responses, which may permit to modify one or few interrelated behaviors, and then to observe changes in many of them, as in Meyer and Barbosa (2007) research. In this study, two obese adolescents received psychological treatment based on general objectives related to the various behavioral complaints not focusing directly at the obesity problem.…”

“…A negative evaluation of self (Serpell & Troop, 2003) is also frequent. In adolescents dependent behaviors may be observed (as in one of the cases of obese adolescents studied by Meyer & Barbosa, 2007) as well as a poor relationship with the opposite sex, and academic problems (Slade, 1982).…”

“…However, direct contingency management of eating responses, even if successful in the short term can be insufficient in the long term (Meyer & Barbosa, 2007; Touyz & Beumont, 1997). The fact that results tend not to maintain suggests need of implementation of other interventions, not directed only to eating and exercising.…”