Yoga helps treat eating disorders

A study published in the latest issue of Psychology of Women Quarterly reports that mind-body exercise, such as yoga, is associated with greater body satisfaction and fewer symptoms of eating disorders than traditional aerobic exercise like jogging or using cardio machines. Yoga practitioners reported less self-objectification, greater satisfaction with physical appearance, and fewer disordered eating attitudes compared to non-yoga practitioners. In yoga class, a woman develops sensitivity to bodily sensations and practices listening to her body's feedback. "This heightened sensitivity and responsiveness to bodily sensations is associated with less preoccupation of physical appearance, more positive views of the body, and more healthy regulation of food intake," author Jennifer Daubenmier states. The greater the number of hours a woman practiced yoga in a week was associated with even less self-objectification and greater satisfaction with her body, while the more hours a woman spent performing aerobic activity was linked with greater disordered eating.