Abstract
This is a report of cases with loss of appetite who were treated by behavioral approach. Two cases were diagnosed as having anorexia nervosa and one case had depression with complaints of appetite loss and emaciation. The patients were received behavioral analysis and psychosomatic examinations. The therapeutic strategy was as follows: 1. Exclusion of the factors which seemed to fix the symptoms. a. Isolation from home, friends etc. b. All medical staffs were asked to behave neutrally for the abnormal eating behaviors and complaints of the patients. c. prohibition to use laxatives and enema. 2. Establishment of the favorite eating behaviors a. Satisfying the patient's needs through verbal communication. b. The weight increases by adaptive behaviors contingently rewarded, and 2 to 5 kg. increase of body weight made them discharged. Until now the follow-up studies reveal that the processes are quite favorable. It is discussed that Pertschuk's method could be applied for anorexia nervosa and that it was fairly identified with the method used in this paper.
