Overeating and Behavior Modification

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer explores overeating and produces a workable list of behavior modification techniques that might apply to a patient who has difficulty controlling food consumption. The writer notes that overeating is a nationwide problem in the US that has been on the rise for several decades. Further, the writer points out that people overeat for many reasons and one of the difficulties in addressing the issue is the fact that humans need to consume food to survive, therefore unlike drug use or drinking it cannot be completely cut out of one's life as a form of behavior modification. The writer concludes that using techniques such as stress management, self monitoring, and social support are behavior modification steps that can be used to help a person reduce the incidence of overeating.

Outline:
Introduction
Behavior Modification
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Overeating is often a difficult problem to address because the behavior modifications cannot include things that will help a person stop the activity completely. Unlike drug use, smoking cigarettes or chronic tardiness, one cannot completely stop eating and thereby remove the undesirable activity from their life completely. One must have food to sustain life therefore there is no way to completely remove it. It will always been needed and necessary and for those who have difficulty controlling their impulses it will always be there as a temptation for the undesired behavior to continue, in this case overeating. While this makes it a difficult behavior to change it can be done through the implementation of behavior modification techniques. "
"One of the first steps in behavior modification is self monitoring. This requires the person to become aware of their target behaviors by keeping a diary or journal about their eating habits."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Foreyt, John P (2000) Successful Management of the Obese Patient. American Family Physician
• Mulcahy, Nicholas (2003) Psychotherapy may help the obese lose weight: behavior modification insufficient.(Clinical Rounds). From: OB GYN News
• Tucker, Miriam E. (2005) Is binge eating disorder tied to obesity? Maybe: patients diagnosed with BED are demographically different from those with either anorexia or bulimia.(Psychosomatic Medicine) Clinical Psychiatry News

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