Individuals restricted to 400 calories per day were treated with weekly group therapy. The process involved development of group cohesiveness due to a commonly shared experience. The group was unable to accept that weight control meant severe caloric limitation. Themes of dependency and pairing tended to distract the group from their basic task of tolerating severe caloric limitation. Behavioral techniques as well as fostering of insight did not appear effective. Explanations for such a group format are discussed.
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