Counseling strategies for obese patients

Counseling strategies usually assume that an individual is ready to change; however this assumption is probably not true for many obese individuals seeking medical care. Since individuals progress through a series of stages of change, some may not yet be ready to change. The transtheoretical model of behavior change proposes that individuals move through stages of change: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance. This model has been successfully applied to a range of addictive behaviors. The application of the transtheoretical model of behavior change to obesity treatment holds promise because interventions that match treatment strategies to an individual's stage of change may be more effective than current treatments. This article reviews the potential benefits of using the transtheoretical model for weight management in the primary care setting.