CHEERY ladies from Bolton were tickled pink when they learned that laughing can make people slim.

They were treated to a spot of laughter therapy, also known as humourobics, during a fun-packed session organised by Bolton's Catalyst community development team.

Humour consultant Kate Hull Rodgers from Yorkshire met them at the Last Drop Hotel and told them that laughing for three minutes burns up as many calories as doing aerobics for 10.

Then she showed the amazed ladies, who gathered for the event as part of International Women's Week, how to have a good giggle -- just by making themselves titter.

Kate, who runs the Sheffield-based HumourUs management consultancy, said: "The funniest thing about laughter therapy is that you really can make yourself laugh on your own.

"Everyone should try it at home. It makes you feel better about life and it can be really good for you too."

More than 60 women, who were all from community groups in the East Bolton area, had their lunch and listened to an opera singer before the laughter began.

All they had to do was open their mouths and make laughing noises -- and then their fake joy quickly turned into real happiness.

Scientists have shown that laughing is good way of relieving stress because it relaxes the body and changes people's perspectives on life.

Louise Leatherbarrow, support officer for Catalyst, said the East Bolton Regeneration funded event was organised to say thank-you to women the team works with in the area.

"It was also a good way of introducing them to new opportunities such as the women's development courses starting soon in the area," she added.