[Cognitive behavioral therapy for obesity].

A change in the traditional Japanese diet to include foods from other countries and increased reliance on motorized transportation has resulted in higher-caloric intake and lower energy expenditure. In consequence, the number of obese patients has grown rapidly, as has the number of patients with type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hyperuricemia, hypertension and coronary vascular disease. These have come to be called lifestyle-related diseases because changes in lifestyle are deeply associated with their onset and development. In the U.S. and Europe, lifestyle modification and medication are considered important to the treatment of such diseases. Cognitive behavioral therapy plays a central role in lifestyle modification. We here focus on our cognitive behavioral therapy for obesity.