Evaluating treatment for obesity

by Richard T. Lindsey, Ph.D. ad the incidence rates of adult obesity resting between 15 percent and 50 percent (Bray, 1976) and with 25 percent of American youth being obese, an important challenge presents itself for practitioners of health care. In sheer numbers these statistics represent approximately 34 million people (Van Itallie, 1985). Not only do the obese bear the brunt of social ridicule and discrimination, they also face significant health risks due to their weight. As weight increases, so do the risks for significant medical conditions, including hypertension, diabetes, cancer, gallbladder and cardiovascular diseases (cf. Bray, 1986). In addition, obese individuals will have hospital stays one-third longer than non-obese individuals for a cost one-third higher. If this were not sobering enough, research indicates that as many as 90 percent of those who successfully lose weight will regain all their lost weight within five years or less (e.g., International O besity Newsletter, 1989; University of California, Berkeley, 1989). Given "if claims sound too good to be true, they probably are, "