2023-09-07 18:46:26
In a 2007 survey of common stress management behaviors, the American Psychological Association reported that 4 in 10 Americans, or 43%, overeat and have difficulty resisting unhealthy foods when stressed.
Is there a relationship between stress and weight gain? How can stress lead to obesity?
Several scientific studies have linked stress and weight gain. However, some do not exaggerate if they express a loss of appetite while feeling stressed, as the body secretes the hormone adrenaline in the beginning and the person feels not wanting to eat or forgets regarding it completely, but with repeated stress the body becomes in a state. Fight or flight, cortisol (the stress hormone) is released, the hunger hormone (ghrelin) increases, the satiety hormone (leptin) decreases, and an imbalance in blood insulin occurs.
Chronic stress causes hormonal changes in the body that stimulate the appetite for foods rich in calories (Shutterstock)
Hormonal changes and increased belly fat
According to the Everyday Health website, Dr. Ariana Zhao, an assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, explains that exposure to stress and stress affects the reward system in the brain, especially the amygdala, which enhances the strong desire to eat as a defensive means to improve one’s mood. In the case of chronic stress, hormonal changes occur in the body and cortisol levels rise, which stimulates appetite and pushes the body to eat foods rich in calories and carbohydrates. Metabolism also slows down, and the ability of cells to store fat in the body, especially around the abdomen, is enhanced.
In this context, a study conducted by researchers at the University of California in 2017 revealed a link between chronic stress and obesity, especially in the abdominal area (visceral fat). The study included 2,527 men and women who presented strands of hair close to the scalp at specific periods over a period of 4 years. After following the participants and testing hair samples, it became clear to the researchers that increased levels of cortisol in the hair are linked to obesity and increased fat in the waist circumference.
Muscle weakness and slow metabolism
The Orlando Health website quotes nutritionist Gabriel Mansilla as saying that increasing cortisol would reduce structural hormones in the body, such as testosterone, and thus muscle mass would decrease and the rate of fat burning would decrease, given that muscle tissue is the primary responsible for raising the burning rate in the body.
This was confirmed by a study published in the Journal of Biological Psychiatry in 2014, following researchers from Ohio University interviewed 58 women regarding the stress they experienced the day before eating a meal rich in fat and calories (930 calories and 60 grams of fat).
The researchers found that participants who reported stress the previous day burned fewer calories than those who did not suffer from stress, a difference of 104 calories. According to the study, this difference leads to a weight gain of 11 pounds (5 kilograms) per year.
Increasing cortisol would reduce anabolic hormones in the body and thus decrease muscle mass (Getty)
Unhealthy food choices
In an article on the Free Well Mind website, Dr. Elizabeth Scott, a psychologist and author of the book “8 Keys to Managing Stress,” pointed out that when feeling stressed, the body’s desire for sugars increases to secrete the hormone dopamine and provide the body with quick energy, but The bad side of eating sugar is that the body tends to store it in the form of fat around the waist, which is difficult to get rid of.
Scott adds that in addition to hormonal changes, stress is accompanied by unhealthy behaviors that cause weight change, including:
Emotional eating: It is eating as a way to overcome feelings of anxiety and stress.
Demand for fast food: Stress affects our food choices, and we tend to eat whatever is available and easily accessible.
binge eating It is a disorder in which a person eats larger amounts than usual to suppress negative feelings.
Reducing sleep hours: Stress and stress are linked to sleep problems, and many researches have linked lack of sleep to slow metabolism.
Stress response
The use of food as a mechanism for dealing with stress was revealed by a study conducted by the Baker Institute for Heart and Diabetes Research on 5,118 participants in Australia in 2013, which found that stress resulting from life pressures such as increased workload, financial crises, and social problems is directly linked to an increase in body mass index.
The researchers followed the participants’ behavior in managing stress over a period of 5 years, and evidence indicated that psychological and social stress lead to neuroendocrine disruption, and push the individual to follow unhealthy eating behaviors due to lack of time or psychological motivation to prepare healthy meals, as well as preoccupation with exercise. .
Stress resulting from life pressures such as increased workload and financial crises is directly related to an increase in body mass index (BMI).
How do you manage stress in a healthy way?
There are some strategies that help manage stress and avoid excess weight resulting from it, according to the Harvard School of Public Health website, including:
Follow a balanced diet: It repairs damaged cells and provides the additional energy needed to cope with anxiety and stress.
Mindful eating habits: You should pay attention to what your body is telling you in order to meet its true needs and make healthy food choices.
Doing exercise: A systematic review published in 2015 showed that exercise reduces stress and enhances the body’s efficiency in dealing with psychological stress.
Enough sleep: The CDC recommends sleeping at least 7 hours per night.
Finally, when you feel stressed, try deep breathing and relaxation exercises, which help calm you down and think positively, and do not be ashamed to ask for support and express your feelings and fears.
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