Consensus on Behavioral Strategies for Adults with Obesity from the Korean Society for the Study of Obesity

Behavioral modification is a core component of obesity treatment. Many established behavioral programs have been developed within Western cultural and healthcare contexts; however, they may not directly translate to Korean lifestyles, eating patterns, and clinical settings. Thus, we used a consensus-based process to develop culturally-adaptable behavioral strategies for obesity management in Korean adults to address this gap. A modified nominal group technique was used to generate and refine behavioral strategies. A panel of experts independently proposed candidate strategies, which were subsequently discussed, merged, and ranked across iterative rounds. Strategies with high clinical feasibility and cultural appropriateness were finalized based on a consensus threshold of ≥75% agreement. The expert panel generated behavioral strategy statements, which were consolidated and refined to 10 core behavioral strategies. These strategies span five domains essential to obesity self-management: diet, physical activity, behavioral self-regulation, environmental and clinical support, and psychosocial and physiological factors. This consensus statement provides a culturally grounded, clinically practical behavioral framework for obesity management in Korea. The strategies can be adapted for community health programs and primary care, as well as multidisciplinary obesity clinics. Future research is needed to evaluate implementation effectiveness and scalability in real-world Korean populations.