[Social and political aspects of adiposis].

There is a consensus in the scientific community on the diagnostic, health, and economic implications of overweight and obesity, but therapeutic results -- with a negative energy balance as the main concept of pathogenesis -- are limited. Latest scientific studies did change the paradigm: instead of attributing obesity to patients' lack of will power, genetic disposition and environmental factors are now recognized as the main contributors to this epidemic. In consequence, unsuccessful preventive strategies have to be replaced by setting orientated those that focus much more on environmental changes promoting more physical activity and less energy intake.

[Fifty years of nutrition counseling. Remarks and perspectives].

Fifty years of nutrition information and education did not reach their goals. Nutrition-dependent diseases, obesity, and misinformation are still increasing. Cognitive information about nutrition does not induce changes in primary emotion-controlled eating habits.

Obesity in patients with craniopharyngioma: assessment of food intake and movement counts indicating physical activity.

Patients with childhood-onset craniopharyngioma (CP) often suffer from obesity. We evaluated two important etiological factors of obesity development, energy intake and physical activity. Energy intake was supposed to be high due to a disturbed hypothalamic regulation of appetite.

Validation of the flexible and rigid control dimensions of dietary restraint.

Objective: Two subscales for the Eating Inventory (Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire) are developed and validated: Rigid and Flexible control of eating behavior.

Method: Study I is an analysis of questionnaire data and a 7-day food diary of 54,517 participants in a computer-assisted weight reduction program. Study II is a study of 85 subjects used to develop a final item pool.

[Weight loss by changing eating behavior: the target goal in therapy of obesity].

Obesity develops as an interaction of genetic disposition and environmental factors (nutrition, physical activity). Mental disturbances are considered to be a consequence but not the cause of overweight. For long term weight maintenance three factors are important: normalization of fat intake, flexible control of food intake and an increase in physical activity.