Intensive Behavioral Therapy (IBT)

What is Intensive Behavioral Therapy (IBT)?

Intensive behavioral therapy: structured weight-management counseling from a dietitian or qualified clinician, typically around 30 visits over 12–14 months, targeting 1,000–1,500 kcal a day and at least 200 minutes of activity a week.

Some insurers require it before authorizing Wegovy or Zepbound. STEP-3 and SURMOUNT-3 both showed it is additive to the drug rather than redundant with it.

STEP-3 trial deep-dive →

GLP Watchdog writes these definitions from FDA labels and peer-reviewed PubMed literature.

Where Intensive Behavioral Therapy (IBT) comes up on this site

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Where the evidence lives

• STEP-3 trial deep-dive
• The full GLP-1 glossary (149 terms, 8 categories)
• Research articles — written from primary sources
• Tools and calculators
• Compare GLP-1 telehealth providers