Yoga prevents obesity by providing greater awareness of eating
The regular practice of yoga is associated with awareness when eating and people eating in consent are less likely to be obese, according to a study led by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer.
The study was prompted by initial results of Dr. Alan Kristal and colleagues 4 years ago, found in the regular practice of yoga an aid to prevent middle age spread in normal-weight people and may promote the loss weight in people who have it.
At that time, investigators suspected that the effect of weight loss had more to do with increased body awareness, a specific sensitivity to hunger and satiety, that physical activity of their own yoga practice.
The follow-up study, published in the Journal of American Dietetic Association, confirms this initial hunch. In our previous study, we found that middle-aged people who practice yoga gain less weight over a period of 10 years than those who do not. This is independent of physical activity and eating habits.
“Our hypothesis was that a mental skill acquired, either directly or indirectly through yoga could affect eating behavior,” said Kristal, associate head of the Cancer Prevention Program in the Division of Public Health Sciences at the Center Hutchinson.
“These results are consistent with our hypothesis in which, yoga increases awareness of eating and results in lower weight gain over time, independent of physical activity as an aspect of yoga practice.
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