[The syndrome of cognitive restraint: from the nutritional standard to eating disorders].

It has been shown that behavioral and dietary treatments of obesity are ineffective in producing lasting weight loss and that dieting is associated with episodes of overeating. Dietary restraint leads to emotional and cognitive disturbances as well as to problems with eating. Treating dieting and encouraging natural eating may improve self-esteem, depression, eating pathology and life-style, and so far, weight and health risk factors.