They say laughter is the best medicine when it comes to your health. So it goes without saying that it also must benefit your weight-loss efforts in one way or another. Research indicates that feelings of joy and happiness contribute to changes in the body. Having a good chuckle strengthens the immune system, boosts energy, reduces pain and wards off the ill effects of stress. {relatedarticles}Of course, stress is one of the major contributing factors to obesity because it causes the body to release cortisol, which increases appetite, cravings for sugar and weight gain. While there isn't a vast amount of research on the benefits, one study conducted by Vanderbilt University revealed that laughter can actually burn calories. The study found that 10 to 15 minutes of laughter burned 50 calories.