Saturday, August 29, 2009

Regular Yoga May Improve Eating Habits

Body awareness plays a key role in weight maintenance
(HealthDay News) -- Practicing yoga regularly may help eating habits so one can maintain a healthier weight, a new study says. Researchers at the Seattle-based Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center reported a link between yoga practitioners and "mindful eaters," people who were better aware of their feelings of hunger and fullness and why they ate.

These mindful eaters, as opposed to those who ate regardless of hunger or to soothe anxiety or depression, tended to be less likely to be obese, the study found. Results are published in the August issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

"Mindful eating is a skill that augments the usual approaches to weight loss, such as dieting, counting calories, and limiting portion sizes," study leader Alan Kristal, associate head of the Cancer Prevention Program at the Hutchinson Center, said in a news release from the center. "Adding yoga practice to a standard weight-loss program may make it more effective." More>>