Motivation adipöser kinder und jugendlicher in ambulanten patientenschulungen

Motivational aspects are crucial in the therapy of obese children and adolescents. Current therapy guidelines for the treatment of obesity in childhood and adolescence recommend motivational diagnostics before participating in an outpatient training course in order to avoid unnecessary frustration and high costs in the health care system due to unsuccessful therapy or premature discontinuation of therapy. Nevertheless, differentiated motivational diagnostics with standardised psychological diagnostic procedures have rarely been implemented in outpatient training centres. Approaches from health psychology differentiate between qualitatively definable motivational stages of behavioural changes. Especially in the non-intender stage, techniques of Motivational Interviewing according to Miller and Rollnick are suitable to dissolve motivational ambivalences and to motivate the young patients and their families to change their behaviour.