Motivational interviewing and pediatric obesity

(from the chapter) Interventions to treat overweight children and adolescents are varied in their results. Many professionals remain frustrated regarding the treatment of pediatric overweight. One aspect of this may be the motivation (or lack thereof) of the child, adolescent, and/or their parents. Motivational interviewing (MI) has become an increasingly popular intervention to help people make changes in their lives by enhancing motivation. While developed and traditionally applied to problem drinking behaviors, forms of MI have been adapted for use in a variety of settings and for many health behaviors—including adolescent substance use, smoking, diet/exercise behaviors, and treatment adherence. Given its efficacy in other health-related areas, MI could not only enhance existing pediatric weight-loss interventions, but could be applied in a variety of settings (Resnicow, Davis, & Rollnick, 2006). The advantages of MI intervention approaches may include enhanced motivation for both children and their parents, increased adherence to recommendations, potential for administration by a wide variety of professionals, brevity and cost-effectiveness, and applicability in primary care settings. The goals of this chapter are to describe MI, review research that supports its use as an intervention, and offer practical recommendations for application to pediatric weight loss. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) (chapter)