Its old news that stress makes you fat, but can relaxation make you skinny? A new study shows that intentional relaxation is more effective in losing weight than a program of exercise and nutrition.

The results of a two-year study from the University of Otago in New Zealand show that a program of yoga and meditation delivered more impressive results than a similar program focused solely on calisthenic exercise and diet.

The study, published in the journal Preventative Medicine, split the 225 overweight women into three groups. The first group of participants was introduced to a program of yoga, meditation and positive visualization. The second group was given a regimen of exercise and nutrition, and the third group was mailed nutritional information through the postal service. All three tactics were successful in preventing weight gain, but the first group saw a substantial average weight loss of five and a half pounds. Dr Caroline Horwath, who co-authored the study, said, "At the two-year mark, these women were the only ones to maintain the psychological and medical symptom improvements."

The women in the first group were also found to be happier and generally healthier at the end of the study based on a questionairre at the culmination of the two years. The study authors believe that the key to the yoga and meditation program is reducing stress, which manages cortisol levels and stops cravings for fatty foods and sweets. Dr Horwath further comments on the impermanence of normal dieting plans, saying "helping women break free from chronic dieting" is tantamount to long-term health. "By learning and practising relaxation techniques as part of a wider lifestyle change programme,women have effective tools to manage stress and emotions without resorting to unhealthy eating."