Laugh and lose weight

Sep 12, 2013

A study involving 45 adults showed that laughter can help with weight loss. Researchers found that a daily dose of a good long hard laugh that lasts 10-15 minutes increases energy consumption by 10 to 40 calories per day.

By Vision Reporter
 
A study involving 45 adults showed that laughter can help with weight loss. Researchers found that a daily dose of a good long hard laugh that lasts 10-15 minutes increases energy consumption by 10 to 40 calories per day.
 
If you compute that to a year, you will get a loss of half to two kilograms. However, one has to keep their lifestyle in mind for better results. 
 
A Japanese study suggests that laughter can alleviate allergies such as dermatitis, which causes inflammation of the skin. Several other pieces of research have claimed that laughter can relieve back pain and rheumatoid arthritis. 
 
Dr.Hajime Kimata, of Unitika Central Hospital in Kyoto Prefecture induced allergic responses on the skin of 26 patients by exposing them to dust mites, cedar pollen and cat hair. They were then observed as they watched Charlie Chaplin’s classic comedy. 
 
The participants’ skin welts were measured before and after the video. All displayed a significant reduction in their allergic responses after watching the 87-minute video. And the effects lasted up to four hours.
 
The same procedure was then repeated, but with a video featuring weather information. The non-humourous footage produced no effect on the group’s allergic responses. These findings appear in a research letter published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
 
Dr Kimata was also influenced by the author Norman Cousins’ 30-year-old research suggesting that laughter and a positive attitude can help reduce back pain. Mr. Cousins suffered from a life-threatening joint disease and reported that 10 minutes of laughter helped reduce his pain. 
 
Dr. Kimata has added weight loss to these theories as well.
 

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