Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy on Body Shaming and Self-Criticism of Obese Adolescents Referred to Nutrition Clinics in Tehran in 2019

Obesity is one of the most frequent concerns among teenagers, and it may lead to a variety of chronic disorders including heart disease and cancer. The present study aimed to assess the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) on body shay and self-criticism of obese adolescents referred to nutrition clinics in Tehran in 2019.

This study used a quasi-experimental method and a pre-test-post-test with a control group. Twenty-four obese volunteer adolescents were selected and assigned to an experimental group (n=12) and a control group (n=12). The experimental group received 90-minute weekly sessions for 2.5 months (10 sessions), while the control group did not receive any intervention. Before and after the training phase, all the participants completed the body image shame scale (BISS ) and the Forms of Self-Criticizing/Attacking and Self-Reassuring Scale (FSCRS). Data were analyzed through multivariate analysis of variance (ANCOVA) by using SPSS 22 software.

The CBT group decreased significantly more in body shaming and self-criticism of obese adolescents compared with the control group (P< 0.001).

In general, the findings revealed a substantial difference in body shaming and self-criticism among obese teenagers between the experimental groups. In obese teens, CBT reduced body shaming and self-criticism. Furthermore, this research showed that CBT could help obese teenagers with body shaming and self-criticism.