CONTROVERSY ABOUT THE TREATMENT OF OBESITY - CRITICISMS OR CHALLENGES

Recent commentaries by health professionals call into serious question the adequacy of extant rationales for treating anything less than severe obesity. They also raise doubts about the efficacy of any treatments for obesity and the likelihood of achieving significant progress in treating this disorder. The present writers view in an entirely different light the health consequences of obesity, the effectiveness of professionally conducted longterm and intensive treatments, and the future of the field. The purpose of this article is to examine the scientific basis of the current controversy. This analysis encourages further evaluations of intensive state-of-the-art/science treatments of obesity, considerations of possible cognitive biases against research on the treatment of obesity, and a cautiously optimistic perspective about the future of such endeavors.