Approaches for Improving Long-term Weight Loss
Condition: Obesity
MeSH terms: Weight Loss
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The purpose of this study is to examine two approaches for improving long-term weight loss
      success. All participants will receive a 12-week, in-person standard behavioral weight loss
      program followed by either 12 weeks of yoga instruction or 12 weeks of cooking/dietary
      education instruction (determined via randomization procedures). Assessments of weight,
      physical activity, dietary behaviors, and psychosocial factors will occur at baseline, 3, and
      6 months.
    

Detailed description: 
      Behavioral weight loss (WL) programs result in clinically significant weight losses; however
      rates of long-term WL maintenance are poor. Previous studies suggest that long-term WL
      success may require an enhanced ability to overcome physiological and hedonic urges to eat
      and an improved capacity for dealing with life stressors, negative mood states, and food
      cravings. Thus interventions which target stress reduction and reduce the tendency to use
      food as a coping strategy for aversive experiences may offer a protective effect against
      dietary lapses; thereby improving long-term WL outcomes. Yoga is a mind-body intervention
      which reduces stress and improves overall physical and psychological well-being and offers
      promise for strengthening the psychological skill set needed for maintaining important
      weight-related behaviors long-term. The physical and cognitive skills practiced within yoga
      target multiple underlying psychological processes (e.g., mindfulness, distress tolerance)
      which could reduce emotional eating, improve dietary choices, and enhance one's ability to
      tolerate food cravings or hedonic urges to eat. While yoga is an effective treatment approach
      for other chronic health conditions, it has not been examined as a potential intervention for
      improving long-term WL outcomes. Within the context of the obesity field, yoga has been
      viewed as a mode of exercise and not necessarily as a mind-body intervention approach (as is
      the case in other fields). Thus, given the lower caloric expenditure of yoga in comparison to
      many forms of aerobic exercise, the effect of yoga on important weight- related processes and
      behaviors has not been examined.

      The primary aims of this study are to examine the feasibility and acceptability of
      implementing yoga within a weight management program. Secondary aims focus on examining the
      impact of yoga, relative to a cooking/dietary education intervention (matched for contact
      time) on important psychological constructs (perceived stress, mindfulness, and distress
      tolerance) and weight. Sixty women with overweight or obesity will be randomly assigned to a
      12-week standard behavioral WL program, followed by either 12 weeks of group-based yoga or 12
      weeks of cooking/dietary information classes. Both groups will be instructed to self-monitor
      and achieve the dietary and aerobic exercise goals throughout the 24-week program. Primary
      assessments will occur at baseline and weeks 12 and 24.
    

Intervention name(s): Behavioral weight loss followed by yoga instruction; Behavioral weight loss followed by cooking/dietary education instruction
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): 12-week standard behavioral weight loss program followed by a 12-week yoga intervention; 12-week standard behavioral weight loss program followed by a 12-week cooking/dietary education intervention
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Obesity; Weight loss; physical activity; yoga; exercise