Integrated Behavior Therapy in the Management of Childhood Obesity
摘要
The incidence of obesity has been increasing worldwide in all age groups including children. Obesity can cause many mental, physical, and social issues and contribute to mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, and eating disorders. Both AAP and APA endorse lifestyle health programs as foundation care to obesity management besides medications and surgery. Integrated behavioral health, which combines primary care physicians and behavioral therapists, can be helpful in the management of obesity. Different psychological interventions can be provided using the IBH model for obese children through motivational interviewing techniques, family-based behavioral therapy (FBT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and dialectal behavior therapy (DBT). IBH can be provided via different delivery models using separate office locations or in the same collocation model. Working in the same collocation office with a collaborative team where the primary care physician first sees the patient with obesity, which is then followed by a behavioral therapist immediately after the physician, seems to be the ideal model of IBH care in obesity.