One of the reasons that so many people gain weight when they are under stress is because of the hormone cortisol that releases into the body when an individual is under stress. Cortisol also increases blood sugar levels and blood pressure, which causes a physical response in the body.

People can be stressed for a variety of reasons, from having a hectic work life, because they have lost a job or because of real danger. Whatever the reason, the body responds with the fight or flight response and the physical response is an increased output of energy, changes in the metabolism and other noticeable responses. Being in a state of perpetual stress can weaken the immune system, hinder weight loss efforts, and can also cause weight gain.

Stress and increased cortisol can be a factor in gaining weight in the subsequent ways:

Metabolism – Increased cortisol causes the metabolism to slow down; this decrease in metabolism will cause you to gain weight even if you do not eat more. Dieting alone is often fruitless when the metabolism slows.

Cravings – Stress often increases the desire to eat, especially things with sugar. Most people do not crave things that are good for them when they are stressing out. What’s more, the body actually wants to have sugar, salt and other foods that will increase weight gain.

Blood Sugar – When cortisol increases in the body it also increases the blood sugar which in turn causes mood swings, excessive tiredness, and in extreme cases even hyperglycemia. An increase in blood sugar can also lead to diabetes and heart disease.

Fat Storage – Metabolism is directly related to how you store fat. When the metabolism slows down you store more fat in your body, especially in the abdominal area. More body fat can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, and other medical problems.

Emotional Eating – Cortisol often makes you crave foods full of sugar and salt. In addition, being nervous because of stress can cause you to eat unknowingly. Many people under a lot of stress do not even realize that they are munching on something until they are half way thorough a bag of chips etc.

These are areas that can contribute to the poor health of a person under a lot of stress:

Fast Food – Under stress or not, people will often turn to fast food in order to feed themselves and their families. This contributes to obesity and provides too many poor food options for individuals.

No Time for Exercise – Exercise is often the first thing to be removed from a schedule when someone is busy. With so many ‘conveniences’ to make life easier, it seems that people have less time to take care of themselves because they are making more time for work.

The good news about putting on weight is that it does not have to be permanent. It is possible to lose weight that you may have put on due to stress. You can change the way that you look as well as reducing your stress levels and become a happy and healthy individual.

Fat just does not play fair! Sometimes you can do everything right and you still pack on the pounds. Obesity has almost exclusively been attributed to poor dietary habits and lack of exercise. New scientific evidence points to some surprising and unexpected causes of obesity. Stay tuned for some fat busting facts.

People are often mistakenly judged because of their weight. It is easy to see the weight problems. There is no doubt when you look at a person who is overweight that they have a problem. The assumption is, more often than not, that the over weight person simply eats too much or lives a sedentary lifestyle. The impression is that they either don’t care or have no will power.

Eating habits and lack of exercise still play a significant role in weight gain. Many other causal links are now coming to light as more scientific research is being done. Obesity science is coming into its own and clinicians are at the forefront of the studies on the battle of the bulge.

Gene studies, hormone imbalance and viruses can play a role in obesity. The fat gene or FTO was discovered when human genome studies on type 2 diabetes were being conducted. Genetic markers that increased the predisposition to diabetes were being studied and the FTO gene was discovered.

Both men and women struggle with the process of weight loss. Sometimes it seems the more they try, the bigger they get. Weight loss pills, powders and programs are developed and sold to thousands of people everyday who are willing to try anything to lose weight. Eighty percent of North Americans are either over weight or obese.

Obesity is a significant risk factor for a number of serious health problems including heart disease, stroke and diabetes. As the baby boomer generation ages they are becoming more health conscious and the trend is to develop a healthier lifestyle which includes weight control.

Science is now proving what many overweight people have always suspected. Losing weight isn’t just about eating and exercising. The reasons and underlying factors that cause obesity are turning out to have a greater impact on fitness and fatness than we ever suspected. Unraveling the causes of obesity and how to lose weight will definitely give people the information needed to make healthy choices in their battle against fat.

Author: Paulette M Sherb
Provided by: How Electric Pressure Cookers Work

What is Obesity?

Obesity means an excessively high proportion of body fat. Overweight refers to an excess of body weight, but not necessarily body fat. Health professionals use a measurement called body mass index (BMI) to classify an adult’s weight as healthy, overweight, or obese. BMI describes body weight relative to height and is correlated with total body fat content in most adults. Generally, the higher your BMI, the higher your health risk, and the risk increases even further if your waist size is greater than 40 inches for men or 35 inches for women.

People who are overweight or obese are more likely to develop heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, gallbladder disease, and joint pain caused by excess uric acid (gout). Excess weight can also cause interrupted breathing during sleep and wearing away of the joints (osteoarthritis). Carrying extra weight means carrying an extra risk for certain types of cancer, including endometrial, breast, prostate, and colon cancer.

Losing Weight

Most overweight people should lose weight gradually. Sometimes, people with serious health problems associated with obesity may have legitimate reasons for losing weight rapidly. If so, a physician’s supervision is required. Experts recommend that people who are overweight or obese should concentrate on engaging in regular physical activity and maintaining healthy eating habits.

See your doctor for advice about your overall health risk and the weight loss options that are best for you. Together, decide whether you should go on a moderate diet or whether other options might be appropriate. Check with your doctor and make sure that your health status allows lowering your caloric intake and increasing your physical activity.

Successful weight loss and healthy weight management depend on sensible goals and expectations. Doctors, dieticians, and other experts agree that the best way to lose weight is to eat fewer calories and increase your physical activity. Follow a calorie-reduced balanced diet that provides for 1-2 pounds of weight loss a week. Be sure to include at least five servings a day of fruits and vegetables, along with whole grains, lean meat and low fat dairy products. Make time in your day for some form of physical activity. Walking is an excellent form of physical activity that almost everyone can do. In addition to helping to control weight, physical activity decreases the risk of dying from coronary heart disease and reduces the risk of developing diabetes, hypertension, and certain cancers.