Study on yoga for children and adolescents with obesity

Childhood obesity is a growing pandemic. There is limited evidence on the effectiveness of yoga for weight reduction in overweight or obese children. The aim of this study led by Vandana Jain was to investigate the effectiveness of a family-based, comprehensive yoga intervention to reduce body mass index (BMI) compared to standardized diet and lifestyle counseling and a control group.

This was an open, randomized, controlled study. Children aged 8 to 15 years with overweight or obesity were randomly assigned to one of three groups for 18 weeks: Standard weight management (group 1); yoga with dietary modification (group 2); control group with no intervention (group 3).

The change in BMI as well as physiological, biochemical and psychological parameters were compared between the three groups from baseline to week 18. In addition, a late follow-up examination was carried out after 6-12 months.

A total of 165 children with an average age of 11.6 and an average BMI of 26.3 were included in the study. The results were evaluated after 18 weeks in 109 children.

Improved diet quality and reduced food intake were observed in both intervention groups. The median (IQR) BMI reduction was similar in the standard and yoga groups, while it increased in the control group. In the yoga group , systolic blood pressure decreased on average from 118 (10) to 114 (8) mmHg. Significant improvements in psychological scores were observed in the standard group. In the control group, the average fasting glucose value increased from 93 ± 10 to 102 ± 12 mg/dl.

The results of this study show that yoga in combination with a change in diet is just as effective as standardized weight management in reducing BMI in children.