People who want to stay in shape dont really need to climb those five floors of stairs, or pump iron at the gym, for all they really need to do is pick up a racy novel like those written by Jilly Cooper.
London, June 14 : People who want to stay in shape don't really need to climb those five floors of stairs, or pump iron at the gym, for all they really need to do is pick up a racy novel like those written by Jilly Cooper.
A research, commissioned by book store Borders, suggests that simply reading a racy novel can help check weight.
The researchers say when a person has been engaged in reading for a few hours, his basal metabolic rate doubles.
People normally burn around one calorie per minute when sitting still, they say. However, reading encourages the production of adrenaline, and thereby causes BMR to rise to up to 1.75 calories per minute. Jilly Cooper's 770-page novel 'Polo', which involves sex and scandal, has been found to be the highest calorie burner by the researchers.
They say if a person reads at a rate of 300 words a minute, he may burn off more than 1,100 calories by the end.
Dan Brown's 'The Da Vici Code', which is at the second place in the list of novels that may help people stay in shape, may help reduce 885 calories.
While 'The Shining' by Stephen King was at number three, John Grisham's 'Runaway Jury' came in fourth.
Wrapping up the top five was Andy McNab's 'Bravo Two Zero', reports the Daily Mail.
Top 10 novels that may help burn calories:
1. Polo: Jilly Cooper (1,100 calories)
2. The DaVinci Code: Dan Brown (885 calories)
3. The Shining: Stephen King (745 calories)
4. Runaway Jury: John Grisham (722 calories)
5. Bravo Two Zero: Andy McNab (605 calories)
6. The Day of the Jackal: Frederick Forsyth (604 calories)
7. The Exorcist: William Peter Blatty (465 calories)
8. Dirty Blonde Diaries: Courtney Love (444 calories)
9. Pride and Prejudice: Jane Austen (443 calories)
10. And Then There Were None: Agatha Christie (327 calories)
ANI