Behavior Modification Techniques That Can Term Paper

While this will not necessarily change the behavior it will provide a blueprint for making the person more aware of what he eats and why it happens outside of hunger.

The next step would be stimulus control. This involves identifying the environmental cues that are associated with overeating and modifying them so that they are reduced as triggers.

Suggestions for ways patients can implement this strategy include:

eating only at the kitchen table without watching television;

keeping no snack foods in the house;

laying out exercise clothes the night before as a reminder to walk or jog in the morning (FOREYT, 2000)."

Cognitive restructuring is used to help the person become aware of himself. In addition it can help the person understand why he overeats and present a realistic expectation about the consequences of that behavior and what benefits are realistically going to come from not overeating.

Stress management is also an important element in behavior modification when it comes to the problem of overeating. Many times stress is named or identified as a key factor in why people overeat. The taste of sweets or carbohydrates, the feeling of being full or the act of "doing something for one's self" by eating something tasty are all things commonly used to combat stress. Unfortunately the act of overeating as a stress reducer can create the person to become overweight which produces a whole new set of issues and stress, thereby becoming a vicious cycle (FOREYT, 2000).

Stress reduction and management can be a key component to the reduction of overeating.

One example of using stress reduction and management techniques to replace overeating as a response to stress is to teach the person to undertake deep breathing when stress is present. This works to reduce tension throughout the nervous system and make the person feel more relaxed.

In addition stress management can be promoted through changing or addressing the stressor. If the person is stressed because they are constantly running late, they can leave earlier for each appointment thereby reducing that stress trigger. If they are constantly feeling overwhelmed and unprepared, they can begin to set aside time each evening to prepare themselves for the next day whether that is completing homework, preparing a business presentation or simply making a list of all they need to accomplish that day.

Social support is an important element to behavior modification as studies have indicated that those who have a strong social support system tend to be more successful in their efforts to change behaviors (FOREYT, 2000). Social support in the area of overeating can encourage one to get out into the world and experience things other than food. Social support can reduce the loneliness or sense of isolation that often leads to binge eating. The overeater should be encouraged to join groups and attend social invitations to replace their need for food.

When one is isolated depression can be a consequence of that isolation and overeating is often tied to feelings of depression, therefore it is important that one maintain social contacts and activities that can serve as both social support and a means of stress reduction.

CONCLUSION

Overeating is a nationwide problem that has been on the rise for several decades. 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. 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.

References

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…