Evaluation of RCT of a Walking, Yoga, and Coaching Intervention for Obesity

The obesity epidemic in the United States continues to be a challenge for many Americans.  Two of the leading factors related to both obesity and chronic disease development are stress and sedentary lifestyle.  Walking, yoga, and health coaching have been shown to be effective treatments for obesity. This study used a random sample of obese individuals living in Southern California and randomly assigned them to one of four groups. Groups 1 and 2 were control groups that received no intervention for three months. Group 3 was an intervention group that received information on how to develop a walking program and also a home gentle yoga practice. Group 4 was an intervention group that also received information on how to develop a walking program, home gentile yoga practice, but also received wellness coaching multiple times each week. The intervention lasted three months for groups 3 and 4 and then they were followed-up to measure self-efficacy for three additional months. The control groups (groups 1 and 2) received the coaching  or non-coaching walking/yoga program three months after groups 3 and 4 received the intervention. Results identified a significant interaction of between the intervention and the walking/yoga program over time. Individuals who had both coaching and the walking/yoga intervention lost significantly more weight, saw larger improvements in their blood pressure, reported higher levels of self-esteem, and positive mood (PANAS). Overall, it seems that behavior modification is only a small piece of well-being and that social support may have a direct impact on both improving behavior change and also independently on measures of well-being.