Abstract
Objective: To assess the utility of guided imagery meditation (GIM) as a low-invasive, cost-effective modality to weight management. Researchers hypothesized that using a standardized, lifestyle-focused GIM would result in weight loss and waist circumference (WC) changes.
Design: Researchers designed a 12-week randomized, controlled pilot study in which participants were asked to use a provided GIM.
Setting: Comfort and relaxation are crucial for GIM. The study, therefore, utilized participants’ personal environments.
Participants: Convenient sampling of 82 students, faculty, and staff of the University of the Pacific.
Intervention(s): Intervention group participants were provided with a researcher-designed, lifestyle-focused GIM and asked to meditate daily. All participants received weekly emails with nutrition education/resources.
Main Outcome Masure(s): Changes to weight and WC were tracked for 12 weeks with BMI as a secondary measure.
Analysis: Correlation and regression analysis was conducted.
Results: Linear regression analysis suggests that the number of meditations may be predictive of the amount of weight loss (p=0.055). Demographic factors (age, race, marital status) are statistically significant predictors of weight and WC changes.
Conclusions and Implications: This pilot study is the first to implement a researcher-designed lifestyle-focused GIM and found that GIM should be considered as a low-invasive, cost-effective adjunct to weight management.
Recommended Citation
Roddy, Karen; Hamler, Nancy; Bangari, Niraj; and Lukas, Eva
(2024)
"Guided-Imagery Meditation as an Adjunct to Weight Management,"
Pacific Journal of Health: Vol. 7:
Iss.
1, Article 14.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.56031/2576-215X.1059
Available at:
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/pjh/vol7/iss1/14
