Some people tend to gain weight when under stress, but the cause of this weight gain is most likely a combination of hormonal and psychological factors. The body has many hormones it uses to regulate our body. Unfortunately these can also be triggered by lifestyle or environmental circumstances which cause our brain to release these hormones involuntarily. Such factors may actually promote weight gain when you're stressed out.
The "stress hormone" cortisol is released in the body during times of stress along with the hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine that constitute the "fight or flight" response to a perceived threat. Following the stressful event, epinephrine and norepinephrine levels return to normal while cortisol levels can remain elevated over a longer time period. In fact, cortisol levels can remain persistently elevated in the body when a person is subjected to chronic stress.
Cortisol has many purposes in the body, and one role of cortisol is the provision of energy for the body. Cortisol stimulates fat and carbohydrate metabolism for quick energy supply, and also stimulates insulin release to maintain blood sugar levels. The end result of these actions is an increase in appetite. Therefore, chronic stress, or poorly managed stress, may lead to elevated cortisol levels that stimulate your appetite, most likely leading to weight gain or difficulty losing unwanted pounds.
Cortisol not only promotes weight gain, but it can also affect where you put on the weight. Researchers have shown that stress and elevated cortisol tend to cause fat deposition in the abdominal area. This type of fat has been referred to as "toxic fat," since abdominal fat deposition is strongly associated with the development of cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks and strokes.
Whether or not your stress levels will result in high cortisol levels and weight gain is not easily predictable. The amount of cortisol secreted in response to stress can vary among individuals, with some persons being naturally more reactive to specific stressful events. Studies of women who tended to react to stress with high levels of cortisol secretion showed that these women also tended to eat more when under stress and had higher BMI’s than women who secreted less cortisol. Studies also have discovered that women tend to gain weight when having relationship woes or financial difficulties while men tend to gain abdominal fat more so when faced with a feeling of failure to perform at work. Another study confirmed that women who stored their excess fat in the abdominal area had higher cortisol levels and reported more lifestyle stress than women who stored fat primarily in the hips. Weight gain for most individuals, especially us women, causes us to stress out even more thus creating a vicious cycle that becomes increasingly difficult to stop.
Physicians, scientists and fitness professionals agree that stress management is a critical part of weight-loss regimens, especially in those who have elevated cortisol levels. Exercise is the best method for weight loss, considering that exercise leads to the release of endorphins, which have natural stress-fighting properties and can lower cortisol levels. Activities such as yoga and meditation can also help lower your cortisol levels. To effectively reduce elevated cortisol due to stress, lifestyle changes are key.
Beyond the possible hormonal causes, many people eat in an attempt to fulfill psychological needs when under stress, which may be another reason or an additional factor to explain why some people gain weight when experiencing stress.
Take a little time everyday to clear your mind of the clutter of stress. Take a walk, ride a bike or even meditate. Your mind and your waistline will thank you ;)
Yours in Health,
Miss Fit
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