1 674 146 EFFECT OF A SHORT-TERM YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION ON HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE IN OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE SUBJECTS. OBJECTIVE: TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF A SHORT-TERM YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION ON HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE (HRQOL) IN OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE PERSONS. DESIGN AND SETTING: NONRANDOMIZED, SINGLE-ARM INTERVENTIONAL STUDY CONDUCTED FROM AUGUST 2012 TO MARCH 2015 AT INTEGRAL HEALTH CLINIC, DEPARTMENT OF PHYSIOLOGY, ALL INDIA INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL SCIENCES, NEW DELHI, INDIA. PARTICIPANTS: OVERWEIGHT (BODY-MASS INDEX [BMI], 23-24.9 KG/M(2)) AND OBESE (BMI, >/=25 KG/M(2)) PERSONS (N = 279) AGED 20-60 YEARS. INTERVENTION: PRETESTED YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION, INCLUDING ASANAS (POSTURES), PRANAYAMA (BREATHING EXERCISES), RELAXATION TECHNIQUES, LECTURES, GROUP SUPPORT, NUTRITION AWARENESS PROGRAM, AND INDIVIDUALIZED ADVICE. OUTCOME MEASURES: PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE WAS HRQOL, MEASURED BY USING SHORT VERSION OF WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION QUALITY OF LIFE (WHOQOL-BREF) QUESTIONNAIRE. SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES WERE ANTHROPOMETRIC VARIABLES, SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE, PULSE RATE, LIPID PROFILE, AND FASTING GLUCOSE. A SUBGROUP ANALYSIS ACCORDING TO SEX WAS ALSO PERFORMED. RESULTS: THE OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE AND HEALTH IMPROVED AFTER SHORT-TERM YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION IN OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE PERSONS. PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL DOMAIN SCORES SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED FROM BASELINE TO DAY 10, AND EFFICACY WAS NOTED IN BOTH MALE AND FEMALE SUBGROUPS. AFTER 10 DAYS OF INTERVENTION, THE FOLLOWING ALSO DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY: BODY WEIGHT, BMI, TOTAL BODY FAT, WAIST AND HIP CIRCUMFERENCE, WAIST-TO-HIP RATIO, SYSTOLIC AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE, TOTAL CHOLESTEROL, LOW-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN, TRIGLYCERIDES, AND FASTING GLUCOSE. CONCLUSION: A SHORT-TERM YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION HAD A POSITIVE EFFECT ON HRQOL IN OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE PERSONS. 2016 2 1340 29 HOW IS THE PRACTICE OF YOGA RELATED TO WEIGHT STATUS? POPULATION-BASED FINDINGS FROM PROJECT EAT-IV. BACKGROUND: YOGA MAY PROVIDE A STRATEGY FOR HEALTHY WEIGHT MANAGEMENT IN YOUNG ADULTS. THIS STUDY EXAMINED PREVALENCE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF YOUNG ADULTS' YOGA PRACTICE AND ASSOCIATIONS WITH CHANGES IN BODY MASS INDEX. METHODS: SURVEYS WERE COMPLETED BY 1830 YOUNG ADULTS (31.1 +/- 1.6 Y) PARTICIPATING IN PROJECT EAT-IV. CROSS-SECTIONAL AND 5-YEAR LONGITUDINAL ANALYSES WERE CONDUCTED STRATIFIED BY INITIAL WEIGHT STATUS. RESULTS: TWO-THIRDS (66.5%) OF NONOVERWEIGHT WOMEN AND 48.9% OF OVERWEIGHT WOMEN REPORTED EVER DOING YOGA, WHILE 27.2% OF NONOVERWEIGHT WOMEN AND 16.4% OF OVERWEIGHT WOMEN PRACTICED REGULARLY (>/=30 MIN/WK). FEWER MEN PRACTICED YOGA. AMONG YOUNG ADULTS PRACTICING REGULARLY (N = 294), DIFFERENCES WERE IDENTIFIED IN INTENSITY, TYPE, AND LOCATION OF YOGA PRACTICE ACROSS WEIGHT STATUS. YOUNG ADULTS WHO WERE OVERWEIGHT AND PRACTICED YOGA REGULARLY SHOWED A NONSIGNIFICANT 5-YEAR DECREASE IN THEIR BODY MASS INDEX (-0.60 KG/M(2); P = .49), WHEREAS THOSE NOT PRACTICING REGULARLY HAD SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN THEIR BODY MASS INDEX (+1.37 KG/M(2); P < .01). FREQUENCY OF YOGA WAS INVERSELY ASSOCIATED WITH WEIGHT GAIN AMONG BOTH OVERWEIGHT AND NONOVERWEIGHT YOUNG ADULTS PRACTICING YOGA REGULARLY. CONCLUSIONS: YOUNG ADULTS OF DIFFERENT BODY SIZES PRACTICE YOGA. YOGA WAS ASSOCIATED WITH LESS WEIGHT GAIN OVER TIME, PARTICULARLY IN OVERWEIGHT YOUNG ADULTS. PRACTICING YOGA ON A REGULAR BASIS MAY HELP WITH WEIGHT GAIN PREVENTION. 2017 3 788 47 EFFECT OF YOGA COMBINED WITH AEROBIC EXERCISE INTERVENTION ON MORPHOLOGICAL AND BLOOD LIPID INDICATORS IN FEMALE COLLEGE STUDENTS. BACKGROUND: REGULAR AEROBIC EXERCISE CAN EFFECTIVELY INCREASE MICROVASCULAR FUNCTION IN SKELETAL MUSCLE AND PROMOTE THE OXIDATION OF FATTY ACIDS. HOWEVER, WHETHER THE EFFECT OF AEROBIC EXERCISE INTERVENTION IS AFFECTED BY FAT CONTENT IS WORTH OF FURTHER EXPLORATION. IN THIS STUDY, BY MEANS OF YOGA COMBINED WITH EXERCISE, THE AUTHORS EXPLORED THE EFFECT OF AEROBIC EXERCISE ON MORPHOLOGY AND BLOOD LIPIDS IN FEMALE COLLEGE STUDENTS. METHODS: A TOTAL OF 81 FEMALE COLLEGE STUDENTS WHO VOLUNTARILY PARTICIPATED IN THIS STUDY WERE ENROLLED BY BODY MASS INDEX (BMI) OBTAINED FROM THE PHYSICAL EXAMINATION WHEN ENTERING THE SCHOOL. THE PARTICIPANTS WERE ASSIGNED TO NORMAL (BMI: 20.98+/-1.52 KG/M2, N.=29), OVERWEIGHT (BMI: 25.57+/-1.34 KG/M2, N.=27), AND OBESITY (BMI: 28.46+/-2.36 KG/M2, N.=25) GROUPS BY BMI, AND ALL OF THEM COMPLETED A 12-WEEK YOGA COMBINED WITH AEROBIC EXERCISE TRAINING PROGRAM. RELEVANT MORPHOLOGICAL SUCH AS BODY WEIGHT, BODY HEIGHT, WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE, HIP CIRCUMFERENCE, ETC. AND BLOOD LIPID INDICATORS SUCH AS LOW-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL (LDL-C), HIGH-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL (HDL-C), TOTAL CHOLESTEROL (TC) AND TRIGLYCERIDE (TG) WERE MEASURED BEFORE AND AFTER TRAINING. ONE-WAY ANVOA, PAIRED-SAMPLE T-TEST WERE USED IN THIS STUDY. RESULTS: AFTER TRAINING PROGRAM, THE RESULTS INDICATED THAT: 1) THE HIP, BODY WEIGHT, BMI AND BODY FAT PERCENTAGE IN ALL THREE GROUPS SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED; 2) WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE IN NORMAL AND OBESITY GROUPS HAD A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE THAN THAT IN OVERWEIGHT GROUP, HIP CIRCUMFERENCE AND WAIST-TO-HIP RATIO (WHR) IN OVERWEIGHT GROUP WERE BETTER THAN THOSE IN NORMAL AND OVERWEIGHT GROUPS; THE DECREASE IN BMI IN OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY GROUPS WAS SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER THAN THAT IN NORMAL GROUP, AND THE WEIGHT LOSS AND DECREASED BODY FAT PERCENTAGE IN OBESITY GROUP WERE THE HIGHEST, FOLLOWED BY OVERWEIGHT GROUP, AND THE SMALLEST IN NORMAL GROUP; 3) IN ALL THREE GROUPS, HDL-C SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED, LDL-C, TC/HDL-C, TG/HDL-C AND LDL-C/HDL-C SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED, TC AND TG SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED IN OBESITY GROUP; AND 4) TC/HDL-C AND TG/HDL-C IN OBESITY GROUP WERE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN THOSE IN NORMAL AND OVERWEIGHT GROUPS, WHILE CHANGE IN TC AND TG WERE THE HIGHEST IN OBESITY GROUP, THE SECOND THE OVERWEIGHT GROUP, AND THE LOWEST IN NORMAL GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: TWELVE-WEEK YOGA COMBINED WITH AEROBIC EXERCISE TRAINING HAS A SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE EFFECT ON MORPHOLOGICAL AND BLOOD LIPID INDICATORS IN FEMALE COLLEGE STUDENTS. THE YOGA COMBINED WITH AEROBIC EXERCISE TRAINING CAN BE RECOMMENDED FOR YOUNG WOMEN WITH OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY POPULATION. 2020 4 363 29 ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN YOGA/MEDITATION USE, BODY SATISFACTION, AND WEIGHT MANAGEMENT METHODS: RESULTS OF A NATIONAL CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY OF 8009 AUSTRALIAN WOMEN. OBJECTIVES: TO ANALYZE WHETHER YOGA OR MEDITATION USE IS ASSOCIATED WITH BODY (DIS)SATISFACTION AND WEIGHT CONTROL METHODS IN AUSTRALIAN WOMEN. METHODS: WOMEN AGES 34 TO 39 Y FROM THE AUSTRALIAN LONGITUDINAL STUDY ON WOMEN'S HEALTH WERE SURVEYED REGARDING BODY SATISFACTION, WEIGHT CONTROL BEHAVIORS, AND YOGA AND MEDITATION PRACTICE. ASSOCIATIONS OF BODY SATISFACTION AND WEIGHT CONTROL METHODS WITH YOGA/MEDITATION PRACTICE WERE ANALYZED USING CHI-SQUARED TESTS AND MULTIPLE LOGISTIC REGRESSION MODELLING. RESULTS: OF THE 8009 WOMEN, 49% WERE OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE. SIXTY-FIVE PERCENT OF WOMEN WITH NORMAL BODY MASS INDEX (BMI) AND APPROXIMATELY 95% OF WOMEN WITH OVERWEIGHT/OBESITY WANTED TO LOSE WEIGHT. AT LEAST ONE IN FOUR WOMEN WITH NORMAL BMI WAS DISSATISFIED WITH BODY WEIGHT AND SHAPE, AS WERE MORE THAN TWO IN THREE WOMEN WITH OVERWEIGHT/OBESITY. THE MOST COMMON WEIGHT CONTROL METHODS INCLUDED EXERCISING (82.7%), CUTTING DOWN MEAL SIZES (76.8%), AND CUTTING DOWN SUGARS OR FATS (71.9%). YOGA/MEDITATION WAS PRACTICED FREQUENTLY BY 688 WOMEN (8.6%) AND OCCASIONALLY BY 1176 WOMEN (14.7%). YOGA/MEDITATION USERS WITH NORMAL BMI WERE LESS LIKELY DISSATISFIED WITH BODY WEIGHT AND SHAPE. ALL YOGA/MEDITATION USERS MORE LIKELY EXERCISED AND FOLLOWED A LOW GLYCEMIC DIET OR DIET BOOKS; AND WOMEN WITH OBESITY OCCASIONALLY USING YOGA/MEDITATION ALSO MORE LIKELY USED FASTING OR SMOKING TO LOSE WEIGHT. CONCLUSION: YOGA/MEDITATION USERS WITH NORMAL BMI APPEAR TO BE MORE SATISFIED WITH THEIR BODY WEIGHT AND SHAPE THAN NON-YOGA/MEDITATION USERS. WHILE WOMEN WITH NORMAL BMI OR OVERWEIGHT TEND TO RELY ON HEALTHY WEIGHT CONTROL METHODS, WOMEN WITH OBESITY OCCASIONAL USING YOGA/MEDITATION MAY MORE LIKELY UTILIZE UNHEALTHY WEIGHT CONTROL METHODS. 2017 5 50 39 A COMPARATIVE CONTROLLED TRIAL COMPARING THE EFFECTS OF YOGA AND WALKING FOR OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE ADULTS. BACKGROUND: WALKING AND YOGA HAVE BEEN INDEPENDENTLY EVALUATED FOR WEIGHT CONTROL; HOWEVER, THERE ARE VERY FEW STUDIES COMPARING THE 2 WITH RANDOMIZATION. MATERIAL AND METHODS: THE PRESENT STUDY COMPARED THE EFFECTS OF 90 MINUTES/DAY FOR 15 DAYS OF SUPERVISED YOGA OR SUPERVISED WALKING ON: (I) RELATED BIOCHEMISTRY, (II) ANTHROPOMETRIC VARIABLES, (III) BODY COMPOSITION, (IV) POSTURAL STABILITY, AND (V) BILATERAL HAND GRIP STRENGTH IN OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE PERSONS. SIXTY-EIGHT PARTICIPANTS, OF WHOM 5 WERE OVERWEIGHT (BMI >/=25 KG/M2) AND 63 WERE OBESE (BMI >/=30 KG/M2; GROUP MEAN AGE +/-S.D., 36.4+/-11.2 YEARS; 35 FEMALES), WERE RANDOMIZED AS 2 GROUPS - (I) A YOGA GROUP AND (II) A WALKING GROUP - GIVEN THE SAME DIET. RESULTS: ALL DIFFERENCES WERE PRE-POST CHANGES WITHIN EACH GROUP. BOTH GROUPS SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT (P<0.05; REPEATED MEASURES ANOVA, POST-HOC ANALYSES) DECREASE IN: BMI, WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE, HIP CIRCUMFERENCE, LEAN MASS, BODY WATER, AND TOTAL CHOLESTEROL. THE YOGA GROUP INCREASED SERUM LEPTIN (P<0.01) AND DECREASED LDL CHOLESTEROL (P<0.05). THE WALKING GROUP DECREASED SERUM ADIPONECTIN (P<0.05) AND TRIGLYCERIDES (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: BOTH YOGA AND WALKING IMPROVED ANTHROPOMETRIC VARIABLES AND SERUM LIPID PROFILE IN OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE PERSONS. THE POSSIBLE IMPLICATIONS ARE DISCUSSED. 2014 6 1030 46 EFFECTS OF YOGA EXERCISE ON SERUM ADIPONECTIN AND METABOLIC SYNDROME FACTORS IN OBESE POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN. OBJECTIVE: REGULAR AND CONTINUOUS YOGA EXERCISE IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT NONPHARMACOLOGICAL METHODS OF IMPROVING SERUM LIPID CONCENTRATIONS, ADIPOSE TISSUE, AND METABOLIC SYNDROME FACTORS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO ANALYZE THE EFFECTS OF YOGA EXERCISE ON SERUM ADIPONECTIN AND METABOLIC SYNDROME FACTORS IN OBESE POSTMENOPAUSAL KOREAN WOMEN. METHODS: SIXTEEN HEALTHY POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN AGED 54.50 +/- 2.75 YEARS WITH MORE THAN 36% BODY FAT WERE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO EITHER A YOGA EXERCISE GROUP (N = 8) OR TO A "NO EXERCISE" CONTROL GROUP (N = 8). THE VARIABLES OF BODY COMPOSITION, VISCERAL FAT, SERUM ADIPONECTIN, AND METABOLIC SYNDROME FACTORS WERE MEASURED IN ALL THE PARTICIPANTS BEFORE AND AFTER THE 16-WEEK STUDY. RESULTS: BODY WEIGHT, PERCENTAGE OF BODY FAT, LEAN BODY MASS, BODY MASS INDEX, WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE, AND VISCERAL FAT AREA HAD SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED. HIGH-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL AND ADIPONECTIN HAD SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED, BUT TOTAL CHOLESTEROL, TRIGLYCERIDE, LOW-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL, BLOOD PRESSURE, INSULIN, GLUCOSE, AND HOMOEOSTASIS MODEL ASSESSMENT-INSULIN RESISTANCE HAD SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED. SERUM ADIPONECTIN CONCENTRATIONS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY CORRELATED WITH WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE, HIGH-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL, DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE, AND HOMOEOSTASIS MODEL ASSESSMENT-INSULIN RESISTANCE IN THE POSTYOGA EXERCISE GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: OUR FINDINGS INDICATE THAT YOGA EXERCISE IMPROVES ADIPONECTIN LEVEL, SERUM LIPIDS, AND METABOLIC SYNDROME RISK FACTORS IN OBESE POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN. CONSEQUENTLY, YOGA EXERCISE WILL BE EFFECTIVE IN PREVENTING CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE CAUSED BY OBESITY IN OBESE POSTMENOPAUSAL KOREAN WOMEN. 2012 7 284 62 ADIPONECTIN, INTERLEUKIN-6, AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE RISK FACTORS ARE MODIFIED BY A SHORT-TERM YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION IN OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE MEN. OBJECTIVE: TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECT OF A SHORT-TERM YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION ON RISK FACTORS FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE (CVD) AND MARKERS OF INFLAMMATION AND ENDOTHELIAL FUNCTION IN OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE MEN. DESIGN: NONRANDOMIZED PROSPECTIVE LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION STUDY WITH PRE-POST DESIGN. SETTING AND LOCATION: INTEGRAL HEALTH CLINIC, AN OUTPATIENT FACILITY PROVIDING YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION PROGRAMS FOR PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC DISEASES. SUBJECTS: OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE MEN (N=51) WERE ENROLLED IN THE STUDY. SUBJECTS WHO WERE PHYSICALLY UNABLE TO PARTICIPATE AND THOSE PARTICIPATING IN OTHER INTERVENTIONS WERE EXCLUDED FROM THE STUDY. INTERVENTION: A PRETESTED INTERVENTION PROGRAM INCLUDING ASANAS (PHYSICAL POSTURES), PRANAYAMA (BREATHING EXERCISES), GROUP DISCUSSIONS, LECTURES, AND INDIVIDUALIZED ADVICE. OUTCOME MEASURES: THE PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE WAS WEIGHT LOSS, AND THE SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES WERE CLINICAL AND LABORATORY CORRELATES OF CVD RISK, LEVELS OF INTERLEUKIN-6 (IL-6), ADIPONECTIN, AND ENDOTHELIN-1 (ET-1). RESULTS: MEN (N=51, BODY MASS INDEX [BMI] 26.26+/-2.42 KG/M(2)) WERE ENROLLED AND UNDERWENT A YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION FOR 10 DAYS. OF 51 SUBJECTS, 30 COMPLETED THE STUDY. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN WEIGHT FROM BASELINE TO DAY 10 (74.60+/-7.98, 72.69+/-8.37 KG, P<0.001, RESPECTIVELY), BMI (26.26+/-2.42, 25.69+/-2.47 KG/M(2), P<0.001, RESPECTIVELY), AND SYSTOLIC BP (121.73+/-11.58, 116.73+/-9.00, P=0.042, RESPECTIVELY). THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN PLASMA IL-6 FROM BASELINE TO DAY 10 (MEDIAN 2.24 VS. 1.26 PG/ML, RESPECTIVELY, P=0.012). THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE PLASMA ADIPONECTIN FROM BASELINE TO DAY 10 (MEDIAN 4.95 VS. 6.26 MUG/ML, RESPECTIVELY, P=0.014). PLASMA ET-1 LEVEL REMAINED UNCHANGED. CONCLUSION: THESE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT EVEN A SHORT-TERM YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION MAY BE AN IMPORTANT MODALITY TO REDUCE THE RISK FOR CVD AS INDICATED BY WEIGHT LOSS, REDUCTION IN SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE, AN INCREASE IN ADIPONECTIN, AND DECREASE IN IL-6 IN OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE MEN. 2013 8 1832 32 PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING, HEALTH BEHAVIORS, AND WEIGHT LOSS AMONG PARTICIPANTS IN A RESIDENTIAL, KRIPALU YOGA-BASED WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM. UNLABELLED: THE INCREASING PREVALENCE OF OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY IN HUMANS IS A GROWING PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN IN THE UNITED STATES. CONCOMITANTS INCLUDE POOR HEALTH BEHAVIORS AND REDUCED PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING. PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE SUGGESTS YOGA AND TREATMENT PARADIGMS INCORPORATING MINDFULNESS, SELF-COMPASSION (SC), ACCEPTANCE, NON-DIETING, AND INTUITIVE EATING MAY IMPROVE THESE ANCILLARY CORRELATES, WHICH MAY PROMOTE LONG-TERM WEIGHT LOSS. METHODS: WE EXPLORED THE IMPACT OF A 5-DAY RESIDENTIAL WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM, WHICH WAS MULTIFACETED AND BASED ON KRIPALU YOGA, ON HEALTH BEHAVIORS, WEIGHT LOSS, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING IN OVERWEIGHT/OBESE INDIVIDUALS. THIRTY-SEVEN OVERWEIGHT/OBESE PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS (AGE 32-65, BMI<25) COMPLETED VALIDATED MIND-FULNESS, SC, LIFESTYLE BEHAVIOR, AND MOOD QUESTIONNAIRES AT BASELINE, POST-PROGRAM, AND 3-MONTH FOLLOW-UP AND REPORTED THEIR WEIGHT 1 YEAR AFTER PROGRAM COMPLETION. RESULTS: SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN NUTRITION BEHAVIORS, SC, MINDFULNESS, STRESS MANAGEMENT, AND SPIRITUAL GROWTH WERE OBSERVED IMMEDIATELY POST-PROGRAM (N = 31, 84% RETENTION), WITH MEDIUM TO LARGE EFFECT SIZES. AT 3-MONTH FOLLOW-UP (N = 18, 49% RETENTION), MOST CHANGES PERSISTED. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND MOOD DISTURBANCE HAD IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY POST-PROGRAM BUT FAILED TO REACH SIGNIFICANCE AT 3-MONTH FOLLOW-UP. SELF-REPORT WEIGHT LOSS AT 1 YEAR (N = 19, 51% RETENTION) WAS SIGNIFICANT. CONCLUSION: THESE FINDINGS SUGGEST A KRIPALU YOGA-BASED, RESIDENTIAL WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM MAY FOSTER PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING, IMPROVED NUTRITION BEHAVIORS, AND WEIGHT LOSS. GIVEN THE EXPLORATORY NATURE OF THIS INVESTIGATION, MORE RIGOROUS WORK IN THIS AREA IS WARRANTED. 2012 9 1377 36 IMPACT OF HOT YOGA ON ARTERIAL STIFFNESS AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN NORMAL AND OVERWEIGHT/OBESE ADULTS. BACKGROUND: OBESITY IS ASSOCIATED WITH ARTERIAL STIFFENING AND DIMINISHED QUALITY OF LIFE. BIKRAM YOGA MAY BE A FEASIBLE ALTERNATIVE TO TRADITIONAL EXERCISE AMONG OBESE INDIVIDUALS. ACCORDINGLY, THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO INVESTIGATE THE IMPACT OF BIKRAM YOGA, A HEATED STYLE OF HATHA YOGA, ON ARTERIAL STIFFNESS IN NORMAL AND OVERWEIGHT/OBESE ADULTS. METHODS: FORTY-THREE (23 NORMAL BODY MASS INDEX OR BMI; 20 OVERWEIGHT/OBESE) APPARENTLY HEALTHY PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED AN 8-WEEK BIKRAM YOGA INTERVENTION. BODY COMPOSITION WAS ESTIMATED VIA DUAL ENERGY X-RAY ABSORPTIOMETRY, ARTERIAL STIFFNESS WAS MEASURED VIA BRACHIALANKLE PULSE WAVE VELOCITY, AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE WAS ASSESSED VIA RAND 36-ITEM SHORT FORM SURVEY AT BASELINE AND AT THE END OF THE 8-WEEK INTERVENTION. RESULTS: AFTER THE INTERVENTION, BRACHIAL-ANKLE PULSE WAVE VELOCITY DECREASED (P < .05) IN OVERWEIGHT/OBESE PARTICIPANTS WHILE NO SUCH CHANGES WERE OBSERVED IN NORMAL BMI PARTICIPANTS. IN THE QUALITY OF LIFE MEASURES, EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING IMPROVED (P < .05) IN BOTH GROUPS, AND GENERAL HEALTH IMPROVED (P < .05) ONLY IN THE NORMAL WEIGHT BMI GROUP. CONCLUSION: BIKRAM YOGA AMELIORATES ARTERIAL STIFFNESS IN OVERWEIGHT/OBESE ADULTS AND CAN POSITIVELY IMPACT QUALITY OF LIFE REGARDLESS OF BMI. 2016 10 1491 45 INTERLEUKIN-6, VITAMIN D & DIABETES RISK-FACTORS MODIFIED BY A SHORT-TERM YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION IN OVERWEIGHT/OBESE INDIVIDUALS. BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: SEVERAL DIABETES PREVENTION PROGRAMMES HAVE DEMONSTRATED A REDUCTION IN INCIDENCE OF DIABETES IN INDIVIDUALS WITH PREDIABETES THROUGH WEIGHT LOSS. SHORT-TERM YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION PROGRAMMES HAVE ALSO BEEN SHOWN TO BE EFFICACIOUS IN WEIGHT LOSS. THIS STUDY WAS UNDERTAKEN TO INVESTIGATE IF INTERLEUKIN (IL)-6, VITAMIN D, NEOPTERIN, VASPIN, AND DIABETES RISK FACTORS CAN BE MODIFIED BY A SHORT-TERM YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION IN OVERWEIGHT/OBESE SUBJECTS. METHODS: IN THIS PILOT STUDY, 34 OVERWEIGHT/OBESE [BODY MASS INDEX (BMI) >/= 23 TO <35 KG/M [2] PER ASIAN CUT-OFF VALUES] INDIVIDUALS WERE ENROLLED, AND RECEIVED DIRECTLY SUPERVISED INTERVENTION FOR 10 DAYS. THEREAFTER, THEY WERE ADVISED TO FOLLOW THIS YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE AT HOME FOR ONE MONTH, AND WERE REASSESSED FOR STUDY VARIABLES AT DAY 30. RESULTS: THERE WAS A REDUCTION FROM BASELINE TO DAY 10 IN WEIGHT ( P <0.001), BMI ( P <0.001), WAIST/HIP-RATIO ( P <0.05), BLOOD GLUCOSE ( P <0.01), AND A SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN LIPID PROFILE. THERE WAS A DECREASE IN MEDIAN FASTING INSULIN ( P <0.05), HOMEOSTATIC MODEL ASSESSMENT-INSULIN RESISTANCE ( P <0.01), AND IL-6 ( PP <0.05). A NON-SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN 25-OH-VITAMIN D, AND A DECREASE IN NEOPTERIN AND VASPIN WERE OBSERVED. TWENTY SUBJECTS RETURNED FOR FOLLOW UP ASSESSMENTS. AT DAY 30, WEIGHT LOSS WAS SUSTAINED WHILE SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE ALSO SHOWED REDUCTION ( P <0.05). CHANGES IN VITAMIN D LEVELS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY AND NEGATIVELY CORRELATED WITH CHANGES IN WEIGHT, BMI AND FASTING BLOOD GLUCOSE, AND POSITIVELY WITH CHANGE IN HIGH DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN. CHANGES IN BODY WEIGHT AND BMI SIGNIFICANTLY AND POSITIVELY CORRELATED WITH INSULIN. CHANGES IN IL-6 LEVELS POSITIVELY AND SIGNIFICANTLY CORRELATED WITH CHANGE IN NEOPTERIN LEVELS. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: THE FINDINGS SHOWED THAT IL-6, VITAMIN D, AND DIABETES RISK FACTORS WERE FAVOURABLY MODIFIED BY A SHORT-TERM YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION IN OBESITY. THIS STUDY ALSO HIGHLIGHTED THE CHALLENGES IN COMPLIANCE ASSOCIATED WITH THE FOLLOW UP OF SUBJECTS FOLLOWING AN AGGRESSIVE SUPERVISED INTERVENTION OF 10 DAYS. 2015 11 1293 36 GROUP-BASED YOGIC WEIGHT LOSS WITH AYURVEDA-INSPIRED COMPONENTS: A PILOT INVESTIGATION OF FEMALE YOGA PRACTITIONERS AND NOVICES. INTRODUCTION: OVERWEIGHT/OBESITY IS A PRESSING INTERNATIONAL HEALTH CONCERN AND CONVENTIONAL TREATMENTS DEMONSTRATE POOR LONG-TERM EFFICACY. PRELIMINARY EVIDENCE SUGGESTS YOGA AND AYURVEDA MAY BE PROMISING APPROACHES, ALTHOUGH RECENT NHIS ESTIMATES INDICATE RARE UTILIZATION OF AYURVEDA IN THE US. GROUP-BASED CURRICULA THAT INTEGRATE YOGA AND AYURVEDA-INSPIRED PRINCIPLES TO ATTENUATE OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY ACROSS INDIVIDUALS MAY PROVE A FEASIBLE, DISSEMINABLE CLINICAL ADJUNCT TO FACILITATE PSYCHOSOCIAL HEALTH AND WEIGHT LOSS AND/OR MAINTENANCE. AIMS: DETERMINE FEASIBILITY AND PRELIMINARY EFFECTIVENESS OF A TEN-WEEK YOGA - BASED, AYURVEDA-INSPIRED WEIGHT MANAGEMENT CURRICULUM (YWL) PILOTED IN FEMALE YOGA PRACTITIONERS (STUDY 1) THEN REFINED AND TAILORED FOR YOGA NAIVES (STUDY 2), ON SELF-REPORTED PSYCHOSOCIAL PROCESS VARIABLES AND % OF SELF-REPORTED TOTAL BODY WEIGHT LOSS (%TBWL). METHODOLOGY: STUDY 1 ENROLLED 22 YOGA-EXPERIENCED WOMEN (48.2 +/- 14.3 YEARS, BMI 30.8 +/- 4.2 KG/M2) IN A 10-WEEK YOGA-BASED PROGRAM (YWL-YE). STUDY 2 ENROLLED 21 YOGA- NAIVE WOMEN (49.4 +/- 10.7 YEARS, BMI 35.5 +/- 6.8 KG/M2) IN A REVISED 10-WEEK PROGRAM (YWL-YN). SELF-REPORTED WEIGHT AND SELF-RATINGS OF MINDFUL EATING BEHAVIOR, BODY IMAGE DISTURBANCE, WEIGHT LOSS SELF-EFFICACY, BODY AWARENESS, AND SELF-COMPASSION WERE COLLECTED AT BASELINE, POST-TREATMENT (T2), AND 3-MONTH FOLLOW- UP (T3). RESULTS: YWL CURRICULA WAS FEASIBLE IN BOTH STUDIES. WHILE ATTRITION RATES FOR BOTH STUDIES FAVORABLY COMPARED TO OTHER WEIGHT MANAGEMENT STUDIES, ATTRITION WAS HIGHER FOR YWL-YN (28.6%) THAN YWL-YE (18.2%). IN BOTH STUDIES, SELF-REPORTED PROCESS VARIABLES AND SELF-REPORTED % TBWL CHANGED IN HYPOTHESIZED DIRECTIONS AT T2 AND EVIDENCED GREATER IMPROVEMENT AT T3; EFFECT SIZES ACROSS ALL PROCESS VARIABLES WERE MEDIUM (-0.4) TO LARGE (-1.8). % TBWL REACHED CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE (>5%) ONLY AT T3 FOR THE YWL-YE GROUP. CONCLUSIONS: THE YWL CURRICULA EMPLOYED HERE APPEAR TO IMPROVE PSYCHOSOCIAL HEALTH AMONG BOTH OVERWEIGHT/OBESE YOGA-EXPERIENCED AND YOGA- NAIVE WOMEN. RESULTS MUST BE INTERPRETED WITH CAUTION DUE TO STUDY DESIGN, SELF-REPORT ASSESSMENTS, AND OTHER LIMITATIONS. NONETHELESS, HYPOTHESES ARE GENERATED FOR FUTURE INVESTIGATION. 2016 12 1328 72 HIGH-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL INCREASES FOLLOWING A SHORT-TERM YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION: A NON-PHARMACOLOGICAL MODULATION. OBJECTIVES: THE OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY WAS TO ASSESS THE EFFECT OF A BRIEF BUT COMPREHENSIVE YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION ON HIGH-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL (HDL-C). METHODS: THIS PROSPECTIVE INTERVENTIONAL STUDY WAS PERFORMED AT THE INTEGRAL HEALTH CLINIC (IHC), AN OUTPATIENT FACILITY AT ALL INDIA INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL SCIENCES, NEW DELHI, A TERTIARY HEALTH CARE CENTRE, CONDUCTING YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION PROGRAMMES FOR PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC DISEASES. THE STUDY INCLUDED APPARENTLY HEALTHY NORMAL WEIGHT, OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE SUBJECTS WHO UNDERWENT A PRETESTED 10-DAY YOGA-BASED PROGRAMME INCLUDING ASANAS (POSTURES), PRANAYAMA (BREATHING EXERCISES), MEDITATION, GROUP DISCUSSIONS, LECTURES AND INDIVIDUALIZED ADVICE ON STRESS MANAGEMENT AND HEALTHY DIET. THE PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE WAS CHANGE IN SERUM HDL-C AT DAY 10 VERSUS DAY 0. RESULTS: 238 PARTICIPANTS (147 WOMEN, 91 MEN, 38.81+/-11.40 YEARS) WERE INCLUDED IN THE STUDY. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN HDL-C LEVELS FROM BASELINE TO DAY 10 (42.93+/-5.00 VS 43.52+/-5.07 MG/DL, P = 0.043). NOTABLY, HDL-C WAS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED IN THOSE FOR WHOM THE BASELINE HDL-C LEVELS WERE LOWER THAN THE RECOMMENDED VALUES. ALSO, THERE WAS A REDUCTION IN BLOOD PRESSURE, FASTING BLOOD GLUCOSE, AND IMPROVEMENT IN OTHER LIPID PROFILE VARIABLES. CONCLUSION: THIS YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED HDL-C LEVELS IN A SHORT DURATION OF 10 DAYS. THIS HAS ADDITIONAL CLINICAL RELEVANCE AS HDL-C IS SUGGESTED TO BE ONE OF THE STRONGEST STATISTICALLY INDEPENDENT PREDICTORS OF MAJOR CARDIOVASCULAR EVENTS. 2014 13 515 30 COMPARING BETWEEN THE EFFECT OF ENERGY-RESTRICTED DIET AND YOGA ON THE RESTING METABOLIC RATE, ANTHROPOMETRIC INDICES, AND SERUM ADIPOKINE LEVELS IN OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE STAFF WOMEN. BACKGROUND: WEIGHT MANAGEMENT IS AN IMPORTANT STRATEGY TO PREVENT THE CONSEQUENCES OF OBESITY. THE AIM OF THE STUDY WAS TO COMPARE THE EFFECT OF YOGA PRACTICE AND ENERGY-RESTRICTED DIET ON RESTING METABOLIC RATE (RMR), ANTHROPOMETRIC INDICES, AND SERUM ADIPONECTIN AND LEPTIN IN OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE WOMEN. MATERIALS AND METHODS: OBESE OR OVERWEIGHT WOMEN WERE DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS: YOGA PRACTICING AND ENERGY-RESTRICTED DIET. EXERCISE TRIALS CONSISTED OF 60-MIN HATHA YOGA EQUAL TO 200 KILOCALORIES (KCAL) COMBINED WITH 300 KCAL RESTRICTION PER DAY, AND AN ENERGY-RESTRICTED DIET CONSISTED OF 500 KCAL RESTRICTION PER DAY. THE INTERVENTION PERIOD FOR BOTH THE GROUPS WAS 8 WEEKS. RMR, ANTHROPOMETRIC INDICES, AND SERUM ADIPONECTIN, LEPTIN, AND LIPID PROFILES WERE MEASURED AT BASELINE AND AT THE END OF THE STUDY. RESULTS: RMR WAS INCREASED IN YOGA BUT NOT IN THE DIET GROUP (P = 0.001). THE LEVEL OF ADIPONECTIN WAS INCREASED IN THE YOGA GROUP COMPARED WITH THE DIET (P = 0.035). THE CONCENTRATION OF HIGH-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN-CHOLESTEROL WAS DECREASED IN THE DIET GROUP SIGNIFICANTLY BUT NOT IN YOGA (P = 0.006). THE LEVEL OF LEPTIN WAS DECREASED IN BOTH THE GROUPS (P = 0.001), AND THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS. CONCLUSION: THE FINDINGS OF THE STUDY DEMONSTRATED THE EFFECT OF YOGA PRACTICING ON RMR, AND SERUM ADIPONECTIN, IN OVERWEIGHT AND OBESE WOMEN. IT SEEMS YOGA PRACTICE WITH LESS ENERGY RESTRICTION COMPARED WITH A COMMON ENERGY RESTRICTION DIET AND IS MORE EFFECTIVE IN WEIGHT MANAGEMENT FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAMS. 2020 14 68 34 A DIFFERENT WEIGHT LOSS EXPERIENCE: A QUALITATIVE STUDY EXPLORING THE BEHAVIORAL, PHYSICAL, AND PSYCHOSOCIAL CHANGES ASSOCIATED WITH YOGA THAT PROMOTE WEIGHT LOSS. YOGA INTERVENTIONS IMPROVE OBESITY-RELATED OUTCOMES INCLUDING BODY MASS INDEX (BMI), BODY WEIGHT, BODY FAT, AND WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE, YET IT IS UNCLEAR WHETHER THESE IMPROVEMENTS ARE DUE TO INCREASED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, INCREASED LEAN MUSCLE MASS, AND/OR CHANGES IN EATING BEHAVIORS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY IS TO EXPAND OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE EXPERIENCE OF LOSING WEIGHT THROUGH YOGA. METHODS. SEMISTRUCTURED INTERVIEWS WERE QUALITATIVELY ANALYZED USING A DESCRIPTIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL APPROACH. RESULTS. TWO DISTINCT GROUPS WHO HAD LOST WEIGHT THROUGH YOGA RESPONDED: THOSE WHO WERE OVERWEIGHT AND HAD REPEATEDLY STRUGGLED IN THEIR ATTEMPTS TO LOSE WEIGHT (55%, N = 11) AND THOSE WHO WERE OF NORMAL WEIGHT AND HAD LOST WEIGHT UNINTENTIONALLY (45%, N = 9). FIVE THEMES EMERGED THAT DIFFERED SLIGHTLY BY GROUP: SHIFT TOWARD HEALTHY EATING, IMPACT OF THE YOGA COMMUNITY/YOGA CULTURE, PHYSICAL CHANGES, PSYCHOLOGICAL CHANGES, AND THE BELIEF THAT THE YOGA WEIGHT LOSS EXPERIENCE WAS DIFFERENT THAN PAST WEIGHT LOSS EXPERIENCES. CONCLUSIONS. THESE FINDINGS IMPLY THAT YOGA COULD OFFER DIVERSE BEHAVIORAL, PHYSICAL, AND PSYCHOSOCIAL EFFECTS THAT MAY MAKE IT A USEFUL TOOL FOR WEIGHT LOSS. ROLE MODELING AND SOCIAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY THE YOGA COMMUNITY MAY CONTRIBUTE TO WEIGHT LOSS, PARTICULARLY FOR INDIVIDUALS STRUGGLING TO LOSE WEIGHT. 2016 15 2734 31 YOGA PARTICIPATION ASSOCIATED WITH CHANGES IN DIETARY PATTERNS AND STRESS: A PILOT STUDY IN STRESSED ADULTS WITH POOR DIET. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: STRESS CONTRIBUTES TO DIETARY PATTERNS THAT IMPEDE HEALTH. YOGA IS AN INTEGRATIVE STRESS MANAGEMENT APPROACH ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVED DIETARY PATTERNS IN BURGEONING RESEARCH. YET, NO RESEARCH HAS EXAMINED CHANGE IN DIETARY PATTERNS, BODY MASS INDEX (BMI), AND STRESS DURING A YOGA INTERVENTION AMONG STRESSED ADULTS WITH POOR DIET. MATERIALS AND METHODS: OBJECTIVELY-MEASURED BMI AND A BATTERY OF SELF-REPORT QUESTIONNAIRES WERE COLLECTED AT FOUR TIME POINTS DURING AND FOLLOWING A 12-WEEK YOGA INTERVENTION (N = 78, 71% WOMEN, MEAN BMI = 25.69 KG/M(2)+/-4.59) - PRE-TREATMENT (T1), MID-TREATMENT (6 WEEKS; T2), POST-TREATMENT (12 WEEKS; T3), AND AT 3-MONTH FOLLOW-UP (24 WEEKS; T4). RESULTS: T1 TO T3 FRUIT AND VEGETABLE INTAKE, BMI, AND STRESS SIGNIFICANTLY DECLINED IN THE OVERALL SAMPLE. REDUCTION IN VEGETABLE INTAKE WAS NO LONGER SIGNIFICANT AFTER ACCOUNTING FOR REDUCTIONS IN CALORIC INTAKE, AND REDUCTION IN CALORIC INTAKE REMAINED SIGNIFICANT AFTER ACCOUNTING FOR REDUCTIONS IN STRESS. CONCLUSION: FINDINGS MAY BE INTERPRETED AS YOGA EITHER ENCOURAGING OR ADVERSELY IMPACTING HEALTHY DIETARY PATTERNS (I.E., MINIMIZING LIKELIHOOD OF FUTURE WEIGHT GAIN VS. DECREASING VEGETABLE INTAKE AND OVERALL CALORIC INTAKE AMONG INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY NOT NEED TO LOSE WEIGHT, RESPECTIVELY). CONTINUED RESEARCH IS WARRANTED, UTILIZING CAUSAL DESIGNS. 2021 16 2751 34 YOGA PRACTICE IS ASSOCIATED WITH ATTENUATED WEIGHT GAIN IN HEALTHY, MIDDLE-AGED MEN AND WOMEN. BACKGROUND: YOGA IS PROMOTED OR WEIGHT MAINTENANCE, BUT THERE IS LITTLE EVIDENCE OF ITS EFFICACY. OBJECTIVE: TO EXAMINE WHETHER YOGA PRACTICE IS ASSOCIATED WITH LOWER MEAN 10-YEAR WEIGHT GAIN AFTER AGE 45. PARTICIPANTS: PARTICIPANTS INCLUDED 15,550 ADULTS, AGED 53 TO 57 YEARS, RECRUITED TO THE VITAMIN AND LIFESTYLE (VITAL) COHORT STUDY BETWEEN 2000 AND 2002. MEASUREMENTS: PHYSICAL ACTIVITY (INCLUDING YOGA) DURING THE PAST 10 YEARS, DIET, HEIGHT, AND WEIGHT AT RECRUITMENT AND AT AGES 30 AND 45. ALL MEASURES WERE BASED ON SELF-REPORTING, AND PAST WEIGHT WAS RETROSPECTIVELY ASCERTAINED. METHODS: MULTIPLE REGRESSION ANALYSES WERE USED TO EXAMINED COVARIATE-ADJUSTED ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN YOGA PRACTICE AND WEIGHT CHANGE FROM AGE 45 TO RECRUITMENT, AND POLYCHOTOMOUS LOGISTIC REGRESSION WAS USED TO EXAMINE ASSOCIATIONS OF YOGA PRACTICE WITH THE RELATIVE ODDS OF WEIGHT MAINTENANCE (WITHIN 5%) AND WEIGHT LOSS (> 5%) COMPARED TO WEIGHT GAIN. RESULTS: YOGA PRACTICE FOR FOUR OR MORE YEARS WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A 3.1-LB LOWER WEIGHT GAIN AMONG NORMAL WEIGHT (BMI < 25) PARTICIPANTS [9.5 LBS VERSUS 12.6 IBS] AND AN 18.5-LB LOWER WEIGHT GAIN AMONG OVERWEIGHT PARTICIPANTS [-5.0 LBS VERSUS 13.5 IBS] (BOTH P FOR TREND <.001). AMONG OVERWEIGHT INDIVIDUALS, 4+ YEARS OF YOGA PRACTICE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A RELATIVE ODDS OF 1.85 (95% CONFIDENCE INTERVAL [CI] 0.63-5.42) FOR WEIGHT MAINTENANCE (WITHIN 5%) AND 3.88 (95% CL 1.30-9.88) FOR WEIGHT LOSS (> 5%) COMPARED TO WEIGHT GAIN (P FOR TREND .026 AND .003, RESPECTIVELY). CONCLUSIONS: REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH ATTENUATED WEIGHT GAIN, MOST STRONGLY AMONG INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE OVERWEIGHT. ALTHOUGH CAUSAL INFERENCE FROM THIS OBSERVATIONAL STUDY IS NOT POSSIBLE, RESULTS ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE HYPOTHESIS THAT REGULAR YOGA PRACTICE CAN BENEFIT INDIVIDUALS WHO WISH TO MAINTAIN OR LOSE WEIGHT. 2005 17 105 39 A PILOT FEASIBILITY STUDY OF WHOLE-SYSTEMS AYURVEDIC MEDICINE AND YOGA THERAPY FOR WEIGHT LOSS. OBJECTIVE: TO DEVELOP AND TEST THE FEASIBILITY OF A WHOLE-SYSTEMS LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION FOR OBESITY TREATMENT BASED ON THE PRACTICES OF AYURVEDIC MEDICINE/ YOGA THERAPY. DESIGN: A PRE-POST WEIGHT LOSS INTERVENTION PILOT STUDY USING CONVENTIONAL AND AYURVEDIC DIAGNOSIS INCLUSION CRITERIA, TAILORED TREATMENT WITHIN A STANDARDIZED TREATMENT ALGORITHM, AND STANDARDIZED DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENTS FOR COLLECTING AYURVEDIC OUTCOMES. PARTICIPANTS: A CONVENIENCE SAMPLE OF OVERWEIGHT/OBESE ADULT COMMUNITY MEMBERS FROM TUCSON, ARIZONA INTERESTED IN A "HOLISTIC WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM" AND MEETING PREDETERMINED INCLUSION/EXCLUSION CRITERIA. INTERVENTION: A COMPREHENSIVE DIET, ACTIVITY, AND LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION PROGRAM BASED ON PRINCIPLES OF AYURVEDIC MEDICINE/YOGA THERAPY WITH SIGNIFICANT SELF-MONITORING OF LIFESTYLE BEHAVIORS. THE 3-MONTH PROGRAM WAS DESIGNED TO CHANGE EATING AND ACTIVITY PATTERNS AND TO IMPROVE SELF-EFFICACY, QUALITY OF LIFE, WELL-BEING, VITALITY, AND SELF-AWARENESS AROUND FOOD CHOICES, STRESS MANAGEMENT, AND BARRIERS TO WEIGHT LOSS. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES: CHANGES IN BODY WEIGHT, BODY MASS INDEX; BODY FAT PERCENTAGE, FAT/LEAN MASS, WAIST/HIP CIRCUMFERENCE AND RATIO, AND BLOOD PRESSURE. SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: DIET AND EXERCISE SELF-EFFICACY SCALES; PERCEIVED STRESS SCALE; VISUAL ANALOG SCALES (VAS) OF ENERGY, APPETITE, STRESS, QUALITY OF LIFE, WELL-BEING, AND PROGRAM SATISFACTION AT ALL TIME POINTS. RESULTS: TWENTY-TWO ADULTS ATTENDED AN IN-PERSON AYURVEDIC SCREENING; 17 INITIATED THE INTERVENTION, AND 12 COMPLETED THE 3-MONTH INTERVENTION. TWELVE COMPLETED FOLLOW-UP AT 6 MONTHS AND 11 COMPLETED FOLLOW-UP AT 9 MONTHS. MEAN WEIGHT LOSS AT 3 MONTHS WAS 3.54 KG (SD 4.76); 6 MONTHS: 4.63 KG, (SD 6.23) AND 9 MONTHS: 5.9 KG (SD 8.52). SELF-REPORT OF PROGRAM SATISFACTION WAS MORE THAN 90% AT ALL TIME POINTS. CONCLUSIONS: AN AYURVEDA-/YOGA-BASED LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION PROGRAM IS AN ACCEPTABLE AND FEASIBLE APPROACH TO WEIGHT MANAGEMENT. DATA COLLECTION, INCLUDING SELF-MONITORING AND CONVENTIONAL AND AYURVEDIC OUTCOMES, DID NOT UNDULY BURDEN PARTICIPANTS, WITH ATTRITION SIMILAR TO THAT OF OTHER WEIGHT LOSS STUDIES. 2014 18 1970 44 SHORT TERM HEALTH IMPACT OF A YOGA AND DIET CHANGE PROGRAM ON OBESITY. BACKGROUND: OBESE PERSONS OFTEN FIND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY DIFFICULT. THE EFFECTS OF A YOGA AND DIET CHANGE PROGRAM, EMPHASIZING BREATHING TECHNIQUES PRACTICED WHILE SEATED, WAS ASSESSED IN OBESE PERSONS. MATERIAL/METHODS: A SINGLE GROUP OF 47 PERSONS WERE ASSESSED ON THE FIRST AND LAST DAY OF A YOGA AND DIET CHANGE PROGRAM, WITH 6 DAYS OF THE INTERVENTION BETWEEN ASSESSMENTS. THE ASSESSMENTS WERE: BODY MASS INDEX (BMI), WAIST AND HIP CIRCUMFERENCES, MID-ARM CIRCUMFERENCE, BODY COMPOSITION, HAND GRIP STRENGTH, POSTURAL STABILITY, SERUM LIPID PROFILE AND FASTING SERUM LEPTIN LEVELS. PARTICIPANTS PRACTICED YOGA FOR 5 HOURS EVERY DAY AND HAD A LOW FAT, HIGH FIBER, VEGETARIAN DIET. LAST AND FIRST DAY DATA WERE COMPARED USING A T-TEST FOR PAIRED DATA. RESULTS: FOLLOWING THE 6-DAY RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM, PARTICIPANTS SHOWED A DECREASE IN BMI (1.6 PERCENT), WAIST AND HIP CIRCUMFERENCES, FAT-FREE MASS, TOTAL CHOLESTEROL (7.7 PERCENT DECREASE), HIGH DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN (HDL) CHOLESTEROL (8.7 PERCENT DECREASE), FASTING SERUM LEPTIN LEVELS (44.2 PERCENT DECREASE) AND AN INCREASE IN POSTURAL STABILITY AND HAND GRIP STRENGTH (P<0.05, ALL COMPARISONS). CONCLUSIONS: A 6-DAY YOGA AND DIET CHANGE PROGRAM DECREASED THE BMI AND THE FAT-FREE MASS. TOTAL CHOLESTEROL ALSO DECREASED DUE TO REDUCED HDL LEVELS. THIS SUGGESTS THAT A BRIEF, INTENSIVE YOGA PROGRAM WITH A CHANGE IN DIET CAN POSE CERTAIN RISKS. BENEFITS SEEN WERE BETTER POSTURAL STABILITY, GRIP STRENGTH (THOUGH A 'PRACTICE EFFECT' WAS NOT RULED OUT), REDUCED WAIST AND HIP CIRCUMFERENCES AND A DECREASE IN SERUM LEPTIN LEVELS. 2010 19 913 50 EFFECTIVENESS OF LIQUID FASTING WITH YOGA AND NATUROPATHY TREATMENTS IN REDUCING METABOLIC AND CARDIOVASCULAR RISKS IN OBESITY. CONTEXT: OBESITY IS ASSOCIATED WITH CHRONIC DISEASES, INCLUDING METABOLIC SYNDROME AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES (CVDS). FASTING IS COMMONLY EMPLOYED BY OBESE PEOPLE TO REDUCE THEIR WEIGHT. LIKEWISE, YOGA AND NATUROPATHY (YN) THAT INCLUDE LIQUID FASTING (LF) HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO BE BENEFICIAL IN REDUCING WEIGHT FOR PEOPLE WITH METABOLIC DISORDERS. HOWEVER, THE SAFETY OF LF DURING YN TREATMENTS AND ITS EFFECTS ON METABOLIC AND CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS HAVEN'T YET BEEN REPORTED. OBJECTIVE: THE STUDY INTENDED TO EVALUATE THE SAFETY OF LF DURING YN TREATMENTS AND ITS EFFECTS ON METABOLIC AND CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS IN PEOPLE WITH OBESITY. DESIGN: A SINGLE-GROUP, PRETEST-AND-POSTTEST DESIGN WAS ADOPTED FOR THE STUDY. SETTING: THE STUDY TOOK PLACE IN A YN HOSPITAL LOCATED IN SOUTH INDIA. PARTICIPANTS: PARTICIPANTS WERE 176 OBESE PEOPLE AGED BETWEEN 18 AND 65 YEARS. INTERVENTION: TOGETHER WITH YN TREATMENTS, ALL PARTICIPANTS UNDERWENT LF USING LIME JUICE WITH JAGGERY, ASH GUARD JUICE, VEGETABLE SOUP, BUTTERMILK, AND KOKUM JUICE FOR A PERIOD OF 5 CONSECUTIVE DAYS. OUTCOME MEASURES: ASSESSMENTS SUCH AS BODY WEIGHT, BODY MASS INDEX (BMI), FAT MASS, LIPID PROFILE, AND BLOOD PRESSURE WERE TAKEN AT BASELINE AND POSTINTERVENTION. RESULTS: PARTICIPANTS SHOWED A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN BODY WEIGHT, BMI, FAT MASS, TRIGLYCERIDES (TG), TOTAL CHOLESTEROL (TC), LOW-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL (LDL-C), VERY-LOW-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL (VLDL-C), HIGH-DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL (HDL-C), SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE (SBP), AND DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE (DBP). CONCLUSIONS: THE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT LF DURING YN TREATMENT CANBE EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING METABOLIC AND CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS IN PEOPLE WITH OBESITY. 2021 20 982 36 EFFECTS OF CONTINUOUS YOGA ON BODY COMPOSITION IN OBESE ADOLESCENTS. OVERWEIGHT/OBESITY IS A PRESSING INTERNATIONAL HEALTH CONCERN, AND CONVENTIONAL TREATMENTS DEMONSTRATE POOR LONG-TERM EFFICACY. SEVERAL STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT YOGA CAN CONTROL RISK FACTORS FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, OBESITY, AND PSYCHOSOCIAL STRESS. THE PRESENT STUDY AIMED TO ASSESS THE EFFECT OF CONTINUOUS YOGA (ASANAS, PRANAYAMA, AND SURYA NAMASKAR YOGA) ON BODY COMPOSITION IN OVERWEIGHT PARTICIPANTS. FORTY ADOLESCENTS WITH OBESITY WERE ENROLLED IN THIS STUDY. THE STUDY WAS CONCEIVED AS A PROSPECTIVE, SINGLE-CENTER, SINGLE-BLINDED RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL. THE PARTICIPANTS WERE DIVIDED INTO 2 GROUPS: THE INTERVENTION GROUP (N = 20), WHICH UNDERTOOK A CONTINUOUS YOGA PRACTICE, AND THE CONTROL GROUP (N = 20). BODY COMPOSITION, INCLUDING BODY WEIGHT (BW), BODY MASS INDEX (BMI), BODY FAT MASS (BFM), AND MUSCLE MASS, WAS EVALUATED USING TETRAPOLAR BIOELECTRICAL IMPEDANCE (BIA). OUR RESULTS SHOWED THAT THE MEAN BMI AND BFM OF THE YOGA INTERVENTION GROUP WERE SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED AT WEEK 8 AND WEEK 12. THE MUSCLE MASS OF THE YOGA GROUP CONTINUED TO IMPROVE AT A RATE OF 0.515 PER WEEK, WHICH WAS STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. IN CONCLUSION, A CONTINUOUS YOGA PRACTICE HAD A TENDENCY TO DECREASE BMI AND BFM AND INCREASE MUSCLE MASS. THESE FINDINGS DEMONSTRATE INTERVENTION EFFECTIVENESS SIMILAR TO THAT OBSERVED IN OTHER CLINICAL RESEARCH AND INDICATE THAT CONTINUOUS YOGA PRACTICE MAY BE USED AS AN ALTERNATIVE THERAPY FOR OBESITY PREVENTION AND HEALTH PROMOTION IN ADOLESCENTS WITH OBESITY. 2021