Yoga...One way to weight loss

Yoga isn't new. Yoga is ancient. Losing weight also isn't new. Men and women have been tackling weight loss for years. And in a head to head competition, yoga comes out on top.

In a recent study, led by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre (FHCRC), the impact of yoga on weight change, independent of other factors such as diet or other types of activity, was measured, monitored and calculated.

The study, a first of its kind to measure the effects of yoga on weight, involved 15,500 healthy, middle-aged me and women who filled out written surveys recalling physical activity and yoga along with weight history over a ten-year period of aging 45-55.

While weight gain was noted overall in individuals, FHCRC's Alan R. Kristal, co-author of the study said, "Men and women who were of normal weight at age 45 and regularly practiced yoga gained about three fewer pounds during the test period that those who didn't."

But the physical aspect of yoga isn't the only contributor. The LA Times credits "thin yogis" by anteing up another aspect of the FHCRC study. Titled, "The real reason people who carry yoga mats always look thin," the LA Times credits yogic aspects of mindful eating as the real reason for low weight or weight loss among yogis.

"People who engage in the traditional form of exercise are more in tune with their bodies in general, including at meal times,"says the LA Times.

The article attributes mindful eating as the powerhouse behind the people that practice it.

"Mindful eating people stop eating once they are full, even if delicious food remains on their plates. They try not to let tempting advertisements lure them to food; they avoid eating while they are distracted by a TV show or other diversion; and they don't eat to distract themselves from emotions like stress or sadness," the article says.

The moral of the story?

FHCRC study results suggest that yoga should be recommended for people trying to diet through more traditional means and practice mindful eating to assist with limiting portion sizes and only eating when necessary, co-author Kristal said.

The mental focus required to hold a difficult yoga pose also helps people avoid "eating more even when the food tastes good" or "eating when you're not hungry," Kristal said in a statement.

And while the study beckons readers for its proof that yoga does beat out other traditional means of weight loss strategy, the study also does a favor for yoga. By bringing the mindful eating into the study and into the media, yoga is becoming less of a trend and more of a lifestyle