Originally published September 14 2005
Yoga may be indirect factor in weight control
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Although a study in the July/August issue of the journal Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine suggests people who do yoga are better at maintaining a normal and healthy body weight, researchers admit the exercise itself may not be directly responsible for the increased control; instead, yoga may indirectly affect weight control, since people who practice yoga tend to have increased body awareness that affects other areas of their lives, such as what they choose to eat.
A recently published study showing that, on average, middle-aged people who practiced yoga controlled their weight better than those who did no yoga, comes with some major caveats.
First, the findings were based on self-reports of participants (a technique considered less reliable than data gathered by clinical observation).
Second, the weight differences reported didn't reflect calories lost through yoga - most yoga does not meet the American College of Sports Medicine's definition of moderate-intensity exercise, that is, exercise rigorous enough to burn substantial calories.
Instead, researchers speculated, the weight drops may have stemmed from yoga practitioners' being more aware of their bodies, nutrition and fitness than nonpractitioners.
The study of 15,500 people ages 53 to 57 that appears in the July/August issue of the journal Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine showed that the 102 participants of normal weight (with a body mass index, or BMI, under 25) who practiced yoga for four or more of the prior 10 years gained, on average, 3.1 fewer pounds (9.5 pounds versus 12.6 pounds) during the period than did the other 7,000 normal-weight people who did no yoga.
Overweight participants who practiced yoga for four or more years - only 30 people fit this description - said they actually lost an average of 5 pounds over the 10 years, compared with an average gain of 13.5 pounds for the 7,500 or so overweight participants who did no yoga.
"We hypothesize that yoga's emphasis on developing body awareness and physical discipline supports the adoption of healthful dietary and exercise habits and thus indirectly affects weight control," the researchers wrote.
Lead author Alan Kristal, associate head of the Cancer Prevention Program at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, acknowledged the study's limitations and said that a better-controlled study is needed.
All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. NaturalNews.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. For the full terms of usage of this material, visit www.NaturalNews.com/terms.shtml