Does Yoga Make You Slim?

Want to be less tempted by the Twinkies and naturally prefer the carrots? Try yoga. Sounds simple, but recent research revealed that people who practice yoga often eat more mindfully -- and tend to be thinner.

Eating mindfully means eating because you're hungry, not because the person who sits next to you at the office keeps having meltdowns over the workload, or not because someone brought in chocolate cake today. It's about recognizing but not responding to the ad for gooey pizza; about noticing the flavors of your food; and about being able to identify when you're full or not hungry.

What does that have to do with yoga? It's possible that the mindfulness skills taught in some yoga practices -- including the focus on breath and meditation -- carry over and help you detach from the tempting ads, the emotions, or the smell of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies and instead tune in to your body.

Focusing on mindfulness is different from how people usually diet (with a focus on weighing and measuring), and it's worth a try. Even if your waist is fine the way it is, mindfulness training is smart; it helps you learn to manage stress and many other aspects of your life (including your friends, your spouse, your kids, your coworkers, your heart attack risk, and even your likelihood of having better sex). Now are you ready for yoga?