Jason Lillis, “The Diet Trap” (New Harbinger Publications, 2014)

Obesity and weight loss are notoriously challenging areas of research and intervention. Traditional behavioral psychology methods for weight loss are known to be ineffective in the long-term for many people. At a time of year when many of us are resolving to eat better, exercise more, and lose weight, obesity and weight loss expert Dr. Jason Lillis offers a different, evidence-based perspective on this complicated issue. In this interview, cross-posted from the podcast Psychologists Off The Clock, Dr. Diana Hill interview Dr. Lillis about his book, The Diet Trap: Feed Your Psychological Needs and End the Weight Loss Struggle Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (New Harbinger Publications, 2014).Dr. Lillis discusses his own values-based reasons for studying obesity, the importance of behavioral interventions, why the “weight loss agenda” may be an ineffective trap, and how values can support long-term commitment to health behaviors. Dr. Lillis also talks about two exercises from ACT that can help people with body appreciation and values-directed behaviors.

Jason Lillis is an assistant professor at the Weight Control and Diabetes Research Center at Brown Medical School and the Miriam Hospital. He is a leading ACT researcher who is currently running NIH grants aimed at developing and testing ACT methods for health behavior change, with a specific focus on weight control and physical activity. He is the author of three books:The Diet Trap, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (Theories of Psychotherapy), and Mindfulness and Acceptance for Treating Eating Disorders and Weight Concerns, and is an editor for the Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science.

Diana Hill, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist practicing in Santa Barbara, California, and a co-host of the podcast Psychologists Off The Clock.

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