1. Introduction
obesity, overweight, overweight or obesity
OBESITY, OBESE
These authors contributed equally to this work.Many current treatment options for managing overweight and obesity consist of rather strict diet and exercise regimes that are difficult to implement as a lifelong routine. Therefore, alternative initiatives such as mindful eating and pleasure-oriented physical activity with more focus on implementation and enjoyment are needed to reverse the obesity epidemic. Mindful eating is an approach focusing on inner hunger and satiety signals. YogaDance is a novel exercise approach combining elements of yoga and dance. This study was a randomized controlled trial investigating the individual and combined effects of mindful eating and YogaDance. Participants were healthy, inactive women with overweight or obesity (body mass index ≥ 25 kg/mThe cornerstones for management of overweight and obesity are lifestyle modifications, which often involve calorie-restricted diets and/or demanding exercise programs. For instance, the benefits of regular exercise on the general health of adults are well-established [Two such approaches are mindful eating and YogaDance. Mindful eating has recently attracted much attention in nutrition research [YogaDance is a novel training concept developed by the authors S.H.H. and A.Y.F. YogaDance combines elements of yoga and dance that complement each other, exploiting the fact that both yoga and dance have been shown to improve body composition and related outcomes. Yoga is a popular trend in the global health and fitness industry [The aim of this study was to explore the effects of combining mindful eating and YogaDance in overweight and obese women. The hypothesis was that the combination would lead to a reduction in total body fat mass (compared to a control group). Beneficial effects for other physiological outcomes and improved quality of life and eating habits were also anticipated.