The one mental trick that can help you lose belly fat

The secret to a flatter belly could be all in your head: New research shows that people who are simply more present in the moment are 34% less likely to be obese and have much less belly fat than people who have trouble focusing, rush through tasks, and go about life mindlessly.

Researchers at Brown University administered a simple test to 400 adults to try to determine their level of "dispositional mindfulness," a technical term for paying better attention to your environment, thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations as you go about your day. In general, people who are more mindful are more likely to notice more details as they walk from place to place and listen fully in conversations rather than zoning out. People with low scores tend to have difficulty focusing, forget others' names soon after they're introduced, and often complete tasks on autopilot.

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People who rated as being more mindful—or simply better tuned into the here and now—had a whole pound less fat from the belly area than people with lower scores. One kilo may not sound like much, but remember, that's one full kilo from just your stomach area. (Also, Google "what 1 kilo of fat looks like." Trust us: You'll be shocked.) Plus, belly fat is the most dangerous kind of fat: It's linked with greater risk of heart disease, diabetes, and death than fat carried in other parts of the body.

How could reshaping your mental approach help you reshape your body? Researchers say that running around on autopilot can cause you to eat mindlessly, even when you're not hungry. Ever find yourself halfway through a bag of chips after a stressful meeting, suddenly shocked to find out how much you've already scarfed down? Or have you ever come home after work and just started eating whatever's in the kitchen—sweet, savoury, salty, and everything in between? Yep, that's exactly what we're talking about (and don't worry—we've all been there).

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But mindfulness can put a stop to that kind of compulsive noshing. "The idea is that once we clearly feel the impacts of how we feel after we eat certain foods, we often start to take better care of ourselves," says Eric Loucks, lead author and assistant professor of epidemiology at Brown University. How mindful are you? Find out using the exact same test taken by participants in the study—it takes less than 5 minutes and it's available right here.

And if you want to become more mindful, you've got plenty of options. Loucks suggests practicing meditation on your own—it's actually easier than it sounds. Need a place to start? Try these meditation tips.

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