Your weight is not something you like to laugh about. But, research published in the International Journal of Obesity has discovered that Laughter really is the best medicine for a weight problem.   The small study included 45 pairs of adult friends, who were shown either funny or serious film clips in a room that was set up with equipment to measure the amount of calories burnt and to monitor the rate, duration and type of laughter. The participants also wore Heart monitors to measure their heart rate.   The researchers discovered that laughing increases both heart rate and calorie expenditure by up to 20 per cent and the longer participants laughed for the greater the effects.   Using the results, the scientists then went on to calculate that just 15 minutes of laughter a day will burn 10 to 40 calories, depending on a person’s weight and the intensity of the laughter. That’s enough to shift between 1 and 4lb a year.   Laughter boosts the immune system and lessens pain. It also reduces stress, lowers blood pressure and helps prevent heart diseases. Overall, it has a beneficial effect on our wellbeing.   A heart laugh possibly reduces muscle tension, increases the amount of oxygen in the blood, exercises the heart and produces happy chemicals in the brain called endorphins. It certainly makes sense that laughing would burn more calories too, as a result of the extra movement and increase in heart rate linked with laughing.   You don’t burn heaps of extra calories but as any slimmer knows, it’s little changes that make big differences. Plus, having a laugh usually makes most of us feel more positive about life – and ultimately, this can help us feel better about ourselves and make us more motivated to lose those excess pounds.   Psychiatrists, Psychologists and even Cardiologists constantly recommend watching funny videos or comedy movies at least twice or thrice a week, if possible, particularly to those who have heart diseases. It has been found that people with heart disease are 40 percent less likely to laugh in a variety of situations compared to people of the same age without any heart disease. The study conducted at Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore on 300 respondents, concluded that laughter, along with an active sense of humor may help protect against a heart attack and coronary diseases. Nevertheless, this is not all.   Various studies have suggested that a positive outlook on life and having a good laugh is associated with much more favourable outcomes than just keeping your heart healthy. Laughing has been found to help fight infections, relieve hay fever and ease pain. It helps fight off illnesses by boosting your immune system. It increases the amount of immunoglobulin, natural killer cells and T cells in the body, which fight against infection and tumours. Also, it helps keep diabetes under control. It controls spikes in blood sugar levels after a meal, thereby reducing the chances of diabetic complications. In one study, people who watched a funny video during dinner had lower blood sugar levels after the meal in comparison to the people who watched a lecture video.   Numerous medical studies indicate that laughter boosts levels of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers, and suppresses levels of epinephrine, the stress hormone. Norman Cousins, whose book Anatomy of an Illness tells how watching comedy movies helped him recover from an illness that was predicted to be fatal, is generally credited with starting the scientific study of the effect of humor on physical wellness some 20 years ago. Mirthful laughter has also been shown to exercise the cardiovascular system by raising and lowering the heart rate and blood pressure; improve coordination of brain functions, thereby enhancing alertness and memory; lift depression; reduce stress; clear mucus in the respiratory system, and strengthen internal muscles by tightening and releasing them. In addition, laughter stimulates the cardiovascular system thereby increasing oxygenation of the blood, which further promotes healing. Some doctors even say that 20 seconds of guffawing gives the heart the same workout as three minutes of hard rowing.   DesiDieter team keep their members happy with the various fun stuff on our Facebook wall. Read and share jokes and humor stories on our social networking platform. ... Read More