And it’s really true! Everyone can lose weight by laughing. Researchers discovered that laughing man loses up to 20% energy more. New 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 increased both heart rate and calorie expenditure by up to 20 per cent – and the longer participants laughed for the greater the effects. Although laughter has long been thought to be good for the heart and the immune system, this is the first study to suggest a benefit in weight loss. The scientists consider 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. In other words, 10-15 minutes of laugh per day deprive the same amount of kilocalories, as the bar of chocolate adds. That’s enough to shift between 1 and 4lb a year. Being overweight can make you feel miserable, but if you want to lose those excess pounds, you should better try to have a good laugh. It might be the simplest way to lose weight ever. So, lose weight, laughing!