A review of traditional (such as psychotherapy) and behavioral approaches (such as self-monitoring and reinforcement) to obesity treatment of mentally retarded students led to the conclusion that the behavioral orientation was more successful. Implications for initiating such programs include thorough training, voluntary participation, and parent…

This paper describes a group counseling weight loss program, Weight Group, for elementary school students who are already overweight for their age and body structure. The selection procedures for group members and the general format of the sessions are outlined, and the need for confidentiality is stressed. The rules for Weight Group members are…