Can Stress Really Affect Your Weight?
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.
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