MANY people who are conscious about their health and over-all appearance are looking for different ways to cut weight. The most common is dieting, and while many diets on the market are quite effective, they may not be applicable for everybody. For this reason, many people still stick to the tried and tested physical exercise. However, a great number is now exploring other less physically demanding ways to lose weight – like kissing.According to Dr. Celestin Munyaneza, a physiotherapist at the Kigali Health Institute (KHI), kissing can actually help you lose weight. He says that an average of 10 calories are burned on a 10-minute kissing spree. In other words, five hours of kissing will help you shed off over two kilos.Munyaneza explains that while the popular French kiss will do the trick, there is another form of kissing that is even better suited for those kissers with weight loss on their minds: the Italian kiss. An Italian kiss is markedly more intense than the French kiss, and is said to burn more calories. "Apart from the usual tongue-locking, an Italian kiss requires touching the cheek of your partner. This calls for more effort, which in turn means more calories to burn,” he explains. This mode of kissing also stretches out more of the lip, mouth and facial muscles, which improves on the elasticity and firmness of the skin.Kissing also increases adrenaline, which translates to increased blood circulation in the body. This also helps you lose weight as well. "As the intensity of the kissing session increases, there is a greater chance of burning extra calories,” he explains, adding, "Kissing also boosts your energy level and prepares your body for more strenuous activities. It prepares your body for activities that require more energy, like jogging and swimming.Kissing has also been known to expel bottled up tensions and release stress because breathing is deeper and you exercise your facial muscles with every movement of the jaws, cheeks and mouth. This can help slow down the aging process by reducing facial lines. Muscle movement of the mouth and jaw also help in the sagging of the skin on the upper portion of the face, specifically on the cheekbones and below the eyes.A kiss is also an effective weapon against tooth decay, explains Dr. Munyaneza. "During kissing, the salivary glands are forced to produce more saliva, which ensures that the acidic content of the mouth is neutralized with more saliva circulating. This helps reduce cavities in the mouth, especially after eating,” he says. From weight loss to oral hygiene, kissing has definitely been proven to improve the overall wellness of an individual. It not only helps physically, but also boosts confidence, providing a better outlook in life and a healthier disposition.