| Medical and cognitive-behavioral (CBT) models have been touted as the "gold standard" of obesity treatment. Outcome studies have shown these models to be effective in treating obesity, but the results are short-lived. Weight loss halts after the end of treatment and most participants eventually gain the weight back. Early studies have shown psychodynamic psychotherapy to be effective in treating obesity. However, changes within healthcare systems and difficulty in empirically validating psychodynamic treatments have caused psychodynamic modalities to fall out of favor. This dissertation aims to continue the discourse on the application of psychodynamic psychotherapy to obesity treatment. Through literature review, it surveys and critiques the medical, CBT, and psychoanalytic theories. Self psychology theory is used to conceptualize the intrapsychic development of obesity within individuals. In addition, this dissertation aims to illustrate how psychodynamic treatment with a self psychology focus can be used to address such disruptions within an individual's development that has lead to the use of food as a coping mechanism. Although psychodynamic psychotherapy may not be fully effective as a stand-alone treatment for obesity, it will be a powerful tool when used in integration with other modalities. |
