Laughing the Pounds Away
Laughter can burn calories, and this is no laughing matter. Researchers have shown that if you laugh for 15 minutes every day, you will lose four pounds annually. Cliff Kuhn, M.D., the laugh doctor, has developed the Fun Factor Diet that stresses on the importance of smiling and laughing in a weight loss program.
Kathy Overman of Bellevue, writer of “Laugh it off! Weight Loss for the Fun of it,” claims to have successfully used laughter therapy. Her weight loss story began when a television program on laughter therapy cut short her usual visit to the fridge. Inspired by the program, she developed the habit of laughing ten times everyday for a span of 30 seconds to five minutes. As a result of this, she lost 35 unwanted pounds.
“A belly laugh is internal jogging,” says William Fry, associate professor emeritus of clinical psychiatry at Stanford University. When you laugh, dozens of muscles all over your body, including 15 facial muscles gain exercise. According to Fry, “Laughing 100 to 200 times a day is the cardiovascular equivalent of rowing for ten minutes.”
How does laughter benefit you? In several ways! It banishes depression, boredom, and loneliness—the three demons that make you overeat. It creates a sense of well-being that encourages you to think twice before eating that second helping of chocolate cream cake. Studies from the University of Maryland School of Medicine show that regular hearty laughter increases blood circulation by expanding stress-constricted blood vessels. Mirth boosts immunity and reduces blood pressure. It raises your pulse and respiration, and therefore, oxygenates the blood. The bonus is that it makes you look attractive.
You may wonder about the relationship of weight loss and laughter. You gain weight when you eat too much to fill an emotional void within you. In other words, you overeat for emotional support. Laughter makes you feel so good that you no longer feel empty within.
Moreover, laughter is being seriously considered as a panacea for most ills in various circles. Laughter therapy is grabbing attention in medical scenarios. A day might arrive in the near future, when doctors will advise their overweight patients to eat healthy, exercise regularly, and laugh heartily.
Filed under: Diet Programs
