Perceptions of the causes of obesity and responsiveness to treatment

Tested the predictions that (1) the principal attributional effect of a group behavioral self-control treatment for obesity would be to increase Ss' belief in their ability to lose weight and (2) the degree to which Ss perceived themselves to be personally and socially victimized by their weight difficulties would limit the potential success of treatment. 27 Ss (mean age 36.75 yrs) participated under diet treatment, diet plus behavior modification, or delayed-treatment control conditions. In accord with the predictions, the monitored diet plus behavioral self-control treatment was the most effective in promoting weight reduction, and the most powerful predictor of positive weight status at both posttreatment and 4-mo follow-up was Ss' perception that they had the ability to lose weight. Ss who felt personally and socially victimized lost less weight than those who did not. It is concluded that investigating more complex cognitive and motivational effects may hold some promise in describing how therapeutic change takes place as a result of the behavioral treatment of obesity. (23 ref)