Dec. 7, 2011 Many dread gaining weight during the holiday
season, but there may be hope for those who find that stress
causes them to reach for yet another helping of holiday goodies.
In a study by UCSF researchers published online in the Journal
of Obesity, mastering simple mindful eating and stress-reduction
techniques helped prevent weight gain even without dieting.
Women in the study who experienced the greatest reduction in
stress tended to have the most loss of deep belly fat. To a
greater degree than fat that lies just under the skin, this deep
abdominal fat is associated with an elevated risk for developing
heart disease or diabetes. "You're training the mind to notice,
but to not automatically react based on habitual patterns -- to
not reach for a candy bar in response to feeling anger, for
example," said UCSF researcher Jennifer Daubenmier, PhD, from
the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine. "If you can first
recognize what you are feeling before you act, you have a
greater chance of making a wiser