Exercise: Improving Compliance and Long-term Weight Loss
Exercise: Improving Compliance and Long-term Weight Loss
The overall aim of the proposed study is to determine the effectiveness of a 3-month yoga
 program on increasing compliance and improving weight loss while participating in the Sanford
 Profile program. Participants are randomized to one of three groups: in-class yoga, yoga by
 digital video disk (DVD), stretching by DVD. Changes in weight loss and stress levels are
 monitored.
The overall aim of the proposed study is to determine the effectiveness of a 3-month yoga
 program on increasing compliance and improving weight loss while participating in the Sanford
 Profile program. The 6-month study includes a 3-month randomized, controlled trial using
 in-person yoga, a yoga DVD, and a stretching DVD (control group) followed by a 3-month
 post-intervention follow-up. The study will be conducted to test the hypotheses that both
 in-person yoga classes and DVD yoga participation will result in 1) greater compliance with
 the Profile program, 2) greater weight loss during the yoga intervention, and 3) greater
 weight loss 3 months following completion of the intervention compared to the stretching
 intervention. Compliance will be investigated using percent of days that dietary intake was
 entered online and percent of days that online records indicate that the program was
 followed. Changes in weight will be measured using data transmitted from electronic scales
 that are provided as part of the Profile program. In order to assess weight change after
 participation in the intervention we will ask participants to continue weighing themselves
 daily for 3 months following completion of the intervention regardless of whether they
 completed the Profile program or not. Participants will complete online questionnaires on
 behavioral and appetite perceptions related to eating, food intake, stress levels, compliance
 with diet recommendations given to them by Sanford Profile, and perceived benefits of their
 intervention. We will use these measures to determine the effect of yoga participation on
 eating behaviors and stress levels.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Must be participants in the Sanford Profile Program (weight loss program)

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Must have physician approval if answers yes to Physical Activity Readiness
 Questionnaire (PARQ) questions