Laugh yourself to the perfect body
A study by G.O.L.D. has created the first laughter diet which gives you the potential to lose 9lbs a year through 30 minutes of laughter a day.
The G.O.L.D. Daily Laughter Diet study led by Dr. Helen Pilcher formerly of London’s Institute of Psychiatry and her fellow researcher, Timandra Harkness reveals that laughter actively burns calories and suggests that a simple laughter plan could be all you need to combat the Christmas calories.
The diet works by equating the amount of laughter you need to expend against the amount of weight you wish to lose, via the equation that one hour laughter = 100 kcal = ½ oz (16oz = 1lb).
The study found that a 125ml glass of wine would need an hour of laughing to be burnt off and a portion of Christmas pudding would need a whopping three and a half hours of laughing to be worked off.
The study, which was specially commissioned by the comedy channel, tasked the team with analysing all the current research into the effects of laughter on the human body. The results provide a unique new health plan that can help you to lose 1-2lb a month without leaving the comfort of your sofa.
The research team compared the amount of calories burnt by laughing to the energy expended by other activities including vacuuming, running and weightlifting. The results reveal that an hour’s worth of laughter can burn up to 100-120 calories and boost energy expenditure by up to 20% - the equivalent of vacuuming for 40 minutes, walking for 15-20 minutes or doing 18-27 minutes of weightlifting!
The researchers think that a hearty laugh provides a mini-aerobic work-out. Laughter gets the heart beating faster and boosts blood flow around the body. As you giggle and gasp for air, you breathe in more oxygen boosting the levels in your blood. The chest rises and falls, and the abdominal muscles get a good workout. Laughter has also been shown to boost endorphins (the brain’s feel good chemicals) and decrease levels of stress hormones - so you don't just lose weight, you feel good about it too. This is good news for those not able to jump out of their chair and do 15 laps of the park - you can burn calories by laughing in front of your telly.
The Laughter Diet also gives you a facial to rival the top spas. Every time you laugh, 15 muscles in your face contract and with more blood flowing through your body, your face is sure to look pink, chirpy and healthy.
The researchers do provide one caveat though: watching sitcoms or comedy shows is not a complete substitute for physical exercise and healthy eating, in fact the study group recommends that laughter is combined with some form of exercise for the very best results.