Abstract
The prevalence of obesity in the United States is rapidly rising, and eating disorders involving binge eating are becoming more widely recognized. Because the number of patients in need of treatment may eventually exceed the availability of professionals available to treat them, evaluating self-help approaches to treatment is essential. In addition, weight regain after obesity treatment is the norm rather than the exception, and continuing care to prevent relapse may only be financially feasible through self-help. Different levels and types of self-help have been investigated, including self-guided help, computer-guided help, and group self-help. Although not appropriate in all cases, self-help for obesity and binge eating may have psychological and practical advantages for many patients.