Title

Time to abandon the notion of personal choice in dietary counseling for obesity

UMMS Affiliation

Department of Medicine, Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine

Publication Date

2011-08-02

Document Type

Article

Subjects

*Choice Behavior; Counseling; Eating; Feeding Behavior; Humans; Nutrition Therapy; Obesity; Power (Psychology); *Professional-Patient Relations; Social Environment; Social Stigma; Weight Loss

Disciplines

Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms | Community Health | Community Health and Preventive Medicine | Public Health | Public Health Education and Promotion

Abstract

De-emphasizing the role of personal choice in dietary counseling for obesity would reduce stigma, but doing so carries the risk of undermining patients' perceived control over their weight loss success. The goal of this commentary is to help dietetics practitioners negotiate this dilemma by presenting a scientifically informed framework that views the personal choices relevant to obesity counseling in terms of three neurobehavioral processes. We argue that applying this framework in dietary counseling can both minimize patient stigma and preserve patients' sense of empowerment.

DOI of Published Version

10.1016/j.jada.2011.05.014

Source

Appelhans BM, Whited MC, Schneider KL, Pagoto SL. Time to abandon the notion of personal choice in dietary counseling for obesity? J Am Diet Assoc. 2011 Aug;111(8):1130-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jada.2011.05.014. Link to article on publisher's site

Journal/Book/Conference Title

Journal of the American Dietetic Association

Related Resources

Link to Article in PubMed

PubMed ID

21802557

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS