Integrative Intervention of Yoga and Nutritional Counseling for Obesity Management among College Students: A Holistic Wellness Approach

Abstract

During their college years, many young adults are concerns due to increased amounts of desk jobs, poor food habits and greater stress when starting to live on their own. It analyzes whether an approach involving both yoga sessions and nutrition consultation can help college students lower their risk factors for obesity. Students between 18 and 25 years old with overweight BMI were gathered for a 12-week trial that included three groups: those who did Yoga, those who followed Nutrition plans alone and those who did both yoga and followed a nutrition plan at the same time. BMI, waist-to-hip ratio, body fat percentage and score on the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) were used as outcome measures. There was the greatest positive change in the combined intervention group, showing that their BMI decreased by −2.3 ± 0.4 kg/m², they lost 4.3 ± 1.1% body fat, improved WHR and their stress levels dropped (−5.8 ± 1.2 points on the PSS). The results confirm that combining traditional and complementary therapies can help young adults manage obesity and stress, a way that can be adopted by university healthcare programs.