Motivating Children and Adolescents in Obesity Treatment

• Published in: Journal of Obesity & Metabolic Syndrome Vol. 29; no. 4; pp. 260 - 269
• Main Authors: Woo, Sarah, Park, Kyung Hee
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) Korean Society for the Study of Obesity 30.12.2020; 대한비만학회
• Subjects: behavior therapy; health behavior; motivation; motivational interviewing; pediatric obesity; Review; theoretical model; 가정의학; Motivational interviewing; Behavior therapy; Theoretical model; Motivation; Pediatric obesity; Health behavior
• ISSN: 2508-6235; 2508-7576; 2508-7576
• DOI: 10.7570/jomes20026

Enhancing motivation is a crucial issue in pediatric obesity interventions, as behavioral changes related to food intake and physical exercise are difficult to carry out with an insufficient level of motivation. In the treatment setting, low motivation towards change may lead to early termination or inadequate treatment outcomes. This paper reviews widely-used models of motivation, including the transtheoretical model of change, self-determination theory, and motivational interviewing (MI). We introduce useful strategies based on each theoretical model to enhance motivation, such as an importance and confidence scale and a decisional balance technique. A review of recent MI interventions in children and adolescents is presented to discuss the efficacy of MI-based interventions and considerations for applying MI in pediatric obesity.