Iva Málková graduated from the Faculty of Arts in 1978, majoring in psychology. She has devoted herself to the problem of obesity for more than 35 years. In 1990, she founded the STOB (STop OBesity) Society, which brings together over three hundred psychologists, doctors, nutritional therapists, exercise instructors, and other professionals whose goal is to help everyone who wants to lose weight sensibly.
Iva Málková developed program of STOB’s activities which is based on the methodology of cognitive-behavioural psychotherapy that has been successfully verified on tens of thousands of clients. The method does not deprive a person of the pleasure of eating but gradually changes inappropriate eating and exercise habits and leads to not only permanent weight loss but improves a person’s quality of life. This proven approach to the treatment of obesity is being applied by STOB in many towns in the Czech Republic. Lately, STOB has been helping thousands of people lose weight via the website www.stob.cz and more recently via the unique Internet weight-loss programme on the website www.stobklub.cz – there are 140 000 people registered. Iva Málková promotes an appropriate and healthy method of weight reduction through articles in newspapers and journals and through radio. The STOB Society organises national campaigns in which it encourages thousands of obese people in the Czech Republic to adopt appropriate eating and exercise habits. CBT is used in these programmes. Iva Málková publishes many aids facilitating sensible weight reduction (booklets based on a method of cognitive-behavioural psychotherapy of obesity that give practical instructions for permanent weight reduction, CD with relaxation focused on obesity, a DVD with appropriate physical exercises of different intensity, a calendar, electronic magazine and more).
Iva Málková is a member of the board of the Czech Society for the Study of Obesity and Institute of Cognitive Behaviour therapy. The activities of the STOB Society are recognized as a part of a comprehensive approach to the treatment of obesity.