ABSTRACT

Obesity is a signifi cant health problem in the United States (Flegal, Carroll, Ogden, & Curtin, 2010). It is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, both independently and through its association with hypertension and diabetes. Although genetic factors clearly play a role in obesity, this chapter focuses primarily on the behavioral factors associated with the development of obesity and lifestyle interventions that have been developed for the prevention and treatment of this major health problem.