November 29, 2012

Book Review: Behavioral Approaches to Treating Obesity: Helping Your Patients Make Changes That Last

This is one in a series of book reviews. You may find these books beneficial if you: manage prediabetes or diabetes, follow a diabetes meal plan and/or try to eat healthy to live well. These book reviews also appear on amazon.com and the books can be found in my amazon a-store.  Please check them out and consider a purchase. 

Note: This book is geared to healthcare providers who help people make behavior changes. I’ve recently reviewed a similar book for healthcare providers Inspiring and Supporting Behavior Change: A Food and Nutrition Professional’s Counseling Guide

Behavior Change_ArnoldNo longer is it unusual to hear the term ‘obesity’ in our culture. While studies and books abound on the topic, Behavioral Approaches to Treating Obesity, Helping Your Patients Make Changes That Last, by experts Brigitta Adolfsson, PhD and Marilynn S. Arnold, MS, RD, have created an all-in-one resource and reference guide for healthcare providers (HCPs). 

Behavioral Approaches to Treating Obesity begins with an in depth overview of the dismal statistics about obesity in America. The authors proceed to cover the multi-factorial nature of weight gain. They also discuss the possible ‘solutions’ for obesity which include bariatric surgery, obesity medications and/or healthy lifestyle changes. 

Adolfsson and Arnold invite HCPs to view obesity from a different perspective…being open to every and all treatment modalities. In utilizing behavior change techniques for healthy lifestyle changes people make the decisions while the HCP interacts in a manner that supports the person’s well-being. 

Behavioral Approaches to Treating Obesity provides readers with details of everything you need to counsel overweight people in a wide variety of settings from acute and chronic care to creating comfortable office environments. 

This well organized guide combs through the step-by-step process of interacting with clients. The authors provide suggestions for structuring appointments, questions to ask during the first visit, and steps for problem solving as people identify their needs. 

The compare and contrast nature of the book, as well as clear distinctions for defining behavioral approaches to obesity, are a strong suit. The authors cut the fluff and get down to facts. In the same vein, important concepts and points the authors wished to underscore are called out in bold which makes referring back to them easy. Behavioral Approaches to Treating Obesity further brings to life the reality of working with clients with case studies and real life problem solving ideas, such as how to survive during parties and travel. The appendix contains schedules and record keeping templates

Behavioral Approaches to Treating Obesity is a logical and navigable resource for HCPs embarking on or using behavioral approaches for obesity treatment. It deserves a spot on your shelf if you like concise references to specific topics that you can browse as you want and need.