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Yoga helps people in their 50s maintain weight
A recent study concluded that overweight population in their 50s who regularly practiced
yoga lost about five pounds over 10 years, while a group in the same age range without
yoga practice gained about 13 1/2 pounds over the same period.
Co-author the study, Alan Cristal, researcher at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
said the link between yoga meditation and weight loss has nothing to do with burning calories.
"Except for very strenuous yoga practices, you don't really burn enough energy to make any difference in terms of weight."
Research team collected data from 15,500 people aged between 53 and 57 who were interviewed
about exercise, weight, health and diet histories. The findings, published in the July/August 2005
issue of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, showed that those who practiced yoga tended
to avoid junk food and overeating because they wanted to respect their bodies.
One of subjects, Gloria Supplee, a 59-year-old who has practiced yoga for five years, said yoga
has seemed to help her maintain her weight. "Having my body in a balanced position, my body is
more likely to desire nutrients," she said.
Scientists who studies obesity and weight loss consider this research very encouraging, but it's
difficult to prove a direct influence from a single study. At the same time
researchers say men and women between the ages of 45 and 55 typically gain about a pound per year,
as their energy needs decline, without a similar decrease in the number of calories they consume.
NOTE: The Information on this site is provided for information only,
and is not meant to substitute for the advice of your own physician or other medical professional.
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