Issues in the assessment and treatment of obesity.

This article summarizes recent developments in the assessment and treatment of obesity. Limitations of the current height and weight tables frequently used to assess obesity are discussed. New research studies on genetics and weight cycling are reviewed. These studies give us a broader perspective about the heterogeneous etiology of obesity and may help to explain why some individuals have great difficulty losing weight or maintaining significant amounts of weight loss. Changes in the behavioral treatments of obesity since the 1970s are described. These newer programs are longer and more comprehensive, placing greater emphasis on the development of exercise behaviors, nutrition education, social support, and cognitive-behavioral interventions. Results suggest that behavioral interventions are most useful with mildly obese individuals. For individuals who are moderately and severely obese, the aggressive use of very low calorie diets appears promising, although research support for the maintenance of losses is lacking and caution is suggested. Continued collaboration among disciplines is expected to increase our understanding of this complex, refractory disorder. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)