Kurt
seems to have been more persuaded than I am by Stephan Guyenet's food
reward hypothesis (which is, of course, not of Stephan's creation — it is the dominant
perspective in the community of academic obesity researchers).
From the clinicians»
perspective, knowledge of manualised treatments broadens the repertoire of treatment skills available and encourages greater technical eclecticism.4 Also, counterintuitive though it may
seem, the use and proliferation of manuals has actually focused attention on patients who do not respond to treatment.4 Finally, Addis argues that knowing a treatment is empirically supported can help clinicians to feel confident and optimistic when working with particularly difficult clients.5 This point can be a boon to any therapist, as clinical work, while often
rewarding, can also be draining and disheartening.