In the selected article, researchers hold that psychotherapy mediates effective management of obesity by influencing the lifestyles and behaviors of individuals. Statistics indicate that obesity is a significant public health issue because it affects over 700 million people and exposes them to various medical comorbidities and complications (Castelnuovo et al., 2017). Therefore, this reaction paper criticizes the article by examining its importance to the field of health psychology, the implication of its findings, and additional psychotherapy strategies.
This article is essential to the field of health psychology because it reviews the roles of psychological factors in the management of obesity. The authors underscore that a multidisciplinary approach to the management of obesity is critical as psychologists and psychiatrists aid in the transformation of behaviors and modification of lifestyles (Castelnuovo et al., 2017).
The analysis of psychological factors shows that they have an intricate link with the occurrence and management of obesity. The authors identify the quality of life, anxiety, self-esteem, personality traits, stressful life, mood problems, and eating disorders as some of the psychological factors that influence the management of obesity (Castelnuovo et al., 2017). Hence, the identification of these psychological factors provides critical information to the field of health psychology.
The article is also relevant to the field of health psychology because it highlights the role of psychotherapies in the management of obesity. According to Castelnuovo et al. (2017), cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the psychotherapies that are effective in the management of obesity caused by binge eating disorder. Binge eaters tend to experience more severe obesity and extreme complications than non-binge eaters.
Other psychotherapy methods, such as enhanced focused CBT, enhanced CBT, acceptance and commitment therapy, and therapeutic education, do not only relate to health psychotherapy but also aid in the management of obesity. The incorporation of these psychotherapies in Internet-based and novel approaches highlight their critical role in health psychology.
The findings of this article have significant implications in the field of health psychology. Based on their review, Castelnuovo et al. (2017) recommend the application of CBT as the first-line psychotherapy method in the management of obesity, especially among binge eaters. The field of health psychology ought to undertake empirical research to validate the recommendation before applying it in the long-term management of obesity.
Moreover, the authors describe how the integration of CBT into Internet-based technologies would enhance the management of obesity. In the article, the authors suggest the application of the stepped-care approach to enhance the delivery of CBT and related therapies in the management of psychological factors that predispose people to obesity (Castelnuovo et al., 2017). Therefore, this suggestion implies that health psychology needs to employ CBT and the stepped-care approach for the effective management of obesity.
The authors also presented additional information regarding strategies that facilitate the effective management of eating disorders and obesity. Castelnuovo et al. (2017) propose the utilization of sequential binge, acceptance and commitment therapy, behavioral weight loss, and therapeutic education as supplementary strategies that are relevant to the field of health psychology. The intervention of sequential binge aims to replace the eating disorder with repeated consumption of unpalatable food.
The therapy of acceptance and commitment promotes the ability of people with obesity to regulate their lifestyles and improve self-regulation skills. The aspect of behavioral weight loss comprises the modification of lifestyle through strategies of stimulus control, reinforcement, self-monitoring, and goal-setting. Therapeutic education indirectly relates to psychotherapy because it empowers cognitive abilities and guides people with obesity in the process of treatment for an enhanced clinical outcome. Thus, these additional strategies expound on the essence of psychotherapy in the management of obesity.
Since obesity is a chronic and multifactorial disease that affects a significant proportion of people across the world, the authors recommend the use of cognitive-behavioral therapy as one of the multidisciplinary interventions to help in weight loss among obese individuals. Authors also recommend other psychotherapy interventions, such as sequential binge, acceptance and commitment therapy, behavioral weight loss, and therapeutic education, in the management of obesity.
Reference
Castelnuovo, G., Pietrabissa, G., Manzoni, G., Cattivelli, R., Rossi, A., Novelli, M., … Molinari, E. (2017). Cognitive behavioral therapy to aid weight loss in obese patients: Current perspectives. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 10,165-173.