Weight problems are a growing public health concern in the U.S. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 17 percent of Americans between ages two and 19 years are obese. Researchers are trying to find the most effective weight loss plans for young people. One team of scientists discovered that an approach that gives young women from Oregon and Washington more autonomy can achieve positive results, as reported by TIME.
For the study, more than 200 girls, aged 12 to 17, were divided into two groups. One group received educational materials on weight loss. The other went through a behavioral program that included information on nutrition and access to exercise materials, such as exergames and yoga.
Meanwhile, parents underwent separate training on how to support their daughters. This is a shift from past strategies that focused on families as whole units.
Results showed that girls in the behavioral program had five fewer hours of sedentary screen time per day and consumed 240 fewer calories a day.
"We purposefully set up the study not expecting people to have very dramatic and quick weight losses, but emphasizing different tools in terms of dietary changes and physical activity that we thought would be easy to include in every life, and which could be sustained over time," said senior researcher Lynn DeBar, as quoted by the news source.
Anyone interested in Dahn yoga and weight loss efforts should feel free to drop in at their local studio. They'll surely find a supportive community!
