Can Stress Cause Weight Gain? You’re having problems at work or at home. You’re stressed, and it’s beginning to show - - in more ways than one. You’ve noticed a bulge around your mid- section that wasn’t there before. Where are these extra pounds coming from? Stress could be one of the culprits. It plays a role in weight gain. While it can make you have less of an appetite at first, long- term . This happens thanks to your fight- or- flight response, a. In most cases, that means overeat. Because your body thinks you’ve used calories to deal with your stress, even though you haven’t, says Pamela Peeke, MD, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Maryland. As a result, it thinks you need to replenish those calories, even though you don’t. Cortisol and Comfort Foods. Levels of . This can turn your overeating into a habit. Because increased levels of the hormone also help cause higher insulin levels, your blood sugar drops and you crave sugary, fatty foods. So instead of a salad or a banana, you’re more likely to reach for cookies or mac and cheese. That’s why they’re called “comfort foods.”Jason Perry Block, MD, an assistant professor of population medicine at Harvard, says eating can be a source of solace and can lower stress.“This happens, in part, because the body releases chemicals in response to food that might have a direct calming effect.”Fatty and sugary foods are usually the big culprits, because lots of us have such a strong love for them. The bottom line? Talbott, Ph. D, a nutritional biochemist. Continued. Lingering Effects of Weight Gain. Carrying around extra pounds can lead to other, more serious problems, including: If you think your weight has gone up due to stress, tackle some good habits that can help you get back to your old self. Eat healthy, get active, and do things that make your relaxed and happy.“The stronger the focus and determination, the faster this can be reversed,” Peeke says. Tips to Ease Your Stress. Exercise, but don’t overdo it. High- intensity workouts can raise cortisol levels. Try a brisk walk. Meditate, or try other mindful breathing exercises like yoga and tai chi. These can help clear your mind and curb those comfort- food impulses. How To Lose Weight With Cortisol ProblemsGet support from family and friends. It’s always good to have someone to talk to or lean on. If you’re feeling tense, speak with someone about it. You could also: Make sure you’re getting plenty of sleep, too. We all struggle with stress once in a while. It’s up to you to take charge of your tension as best you can. Resisting the urge to overeat is a great start. Sources. SOURCES: Pamela Peek, MD, assistant professor of medicine, University of Maryland. More stuff you can eat & drink to lose weight 249 weight loss foods; 7 Weight Loss Drinks other than water; 28 Foods that will flush out water weight. Losing weight with a low thyroid problem can be a difficult task. Kent Holtorf, MD shares 10 surprising factors likely contributing to weight loss challenges in. To lose belly fat you need to lose weight all over your body at the same time with these 2 Steps to Lose Weight Fast. Can stress cause you to gain weight? WebMD shares the answer and explains what you should do with it. Today there are commercials that tout the effectiveness of supplements like Cortislim Cortisol-Reducing Diet Aids Unlikely to Reduce Weight, Scientist Says. Where can I find a Wheat Belly counselor? I’m one of those here who has lost the wheat, but hasn’t lost the weight. I’ll pay a fee for counseling, that’s how. Jason Perry Block, MD, assistant professor of population medicine, Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare. Shawn M. Talbott, Ph. D, president, EQQIL. Harvard Health Publications: “Why stress causes people to overeat.”Association for Psychological Science: “Stress Hurts Our Minds and Our Bodies.” Project AWARE: “Cortisol and Weight.” The Brothers Network: “What Is Cortisol?” University of New Mexico Exercise Science: “Cortisol Connection: Tips on Managing Stress and Weight,” Maglione- Garves, C.; Kravitz, L. Ph. D (Authors)American Psychological Association: “Stress a Major Health Problem in The U. Lose Weight and Keep It Off. How excess weight affects your health. If you’re carrying many extra pounds, if you face a higher than- average risk of a whopping 5. These health conditions include the nation’s leading causes of death—heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and certain cancers—as well as less common ailments, such as gout and gallstones. Perhaps even more compelling is the strong link between excess weight and depression, because this common mood disorder can have a profound negative impact on your daily life. A Harvard study that combined data from more than 5. Health Professionals Follow- up Study) and more than 1. Nurses’ Health Study) revealed some sobering statistics about weight and health. The volunteers provided their height and weight, as well as details on their diets, health habits, and medical histories. Researchers tracked the volunteers over more than 1. BMI. Obesity increased the risk of diabetes 2. Among people who were overweight or obese, there was a direct relationship between BMI and risk: the higher the BMI, the higher the likelihood of disease. Heart disease and stroke. Some of the most common problems seen in people who carry excess weight tend to occur together, such as high blood pressure and unhealthy levels of cholesterol and other fats in the blood. And both can lead to concurrent health problems—namely, heart disease and stroke. High blood pressure is about six times more common in people who are obese than in those who are lean. According to the American Heart Association, 2. Hg) and diastolic blood pressure (the second number) by an average of 2. Hg. That translates to a 2. A 2. 00. 7 study in the Archives of Internal Medicine examined the connection between weight and heart disease by pooling results from 2. Being overweight boosted the risk of heart disease by 3. Although the adverse effects of overweight on blood pressure and cholesterol levels could account for 4. Compared with people of normal weight, overweight people face a 2. For those who are obese, the increased risk rises to 6. Stroke, which pooled results from 2. Diabetes. Overweight and obesity are so closely linked to diabetes that experts have coined the term “diabesity” to describe the phenomenon. About 9. 0% of people with type 2 diabetes (the most common form of the disease) are overweight or obese. The incidence of diabetes rose dramatically—by nearly 6. A high blood sugar level, the hallmark of diabetes, is one of the features of metabolic syndrome. If untreated or poorly controlled, diabetes can lead to a number of grave health problems, including kidney failure, blindness, and foot or leg amputations. Diabetes is currently the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. Cancer. Some experts believe that obesity ranks as the second leading cause of cancer death, after cigarette smoking. A study by the American Cancer Society in the New England Journal of Medicine that followed more than 9. Among people ages 5. In both men and women, higher BMIs were associated with a higher risk of dying from cancer of the esophagus, colon and rectum, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, or kidney. In men, excess weight also increased the risk of dying from stomach or prostate cancer. In women, deaths from cancer of the breast, uterus, cervix, or ovary were elevated in women with higher BMIs. A 2. 00. 8 review article in The Lancet reached similar conclusions. Part of the problem may lie in the fact that people who are very overweight are less likely to have cancer screening tests such as Pap smears and mammograms. A report in the International J Journal of Obesity showed that the larger the woman, the more likely she was to delay getting a pelvic exam, largely because of negative experiences with doctors and their office staff. In men, screening tests such as prostate exams may be physically difficult if people are very overweight, particularly if they tend to store fat in their hips, buttocks, or thighs. Depression. Do people gain weight because they’re depressed, or do they become depressed because they have grown overweight? A review of 1. 5 studies found evidence that both scenarios are likely true. Obese people have a 5. Archives of General Psychiatry. Both conditions appear to stem (at least in part) from alterations in brain chemistry and function in response to stress. But psychological factors are also plausible. In our culture, thin equals beautiful, and being overweight can lower self- esteem, a known trigger for depression. Also, odd eating patterns and eating disorders, as well as the physical discomfort of being obese, are known to foster depression. The study also found that depressed people have a 5. According to one theory, elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol (common in people with depression) may alter substances in fat cells that make fat accumulation, especially in the belly, more likely. Also, people who feel depressed oft en feel too blue to eat properly and exercise regularly, making them more prone to gain weight. And finally, as mentioned earlier, some medications used to treat depression cause weight gain.
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