The Impact of Exercise and Nutritional Interventions on the Mental Health of Obese College Students

Obesity among college students poses both physiological and psychological challenges, often neglected in traditional intervention models. This study proposes an integrated exercise–nutrition intervention framework enhanced by an app-based cognitive monitoring system. A 12-week randomized controlled trial was conducted with 120 obese students divided into four groups: exercise, nutrition, combined, and control. Physiological indicators (BMI, body fat) and psychological status (SCL-90 scores) were measured. Results showed the combined group achieved the most significant improvements in both domains. The findings support the synergistic value of multidimensional interventions and highlight the potential of cognitive informatics tools to enhance health management strategies in higher education settings.