Let’s face it: life is always stressful! Deadlines of work or personal commitments always seem to lurk in the background, and pressure accompanies it. You probably have never known that stress significantly affects one’s weight. The reasons for this relationship need to be understood to manage stress and the well-being of an individual properly. Let us dig deeper into how stress influences weight, both positively and negatively, and what can be done about it.
What is Stress?
Stress is the body’s natural response to demands or challenges. It’s that feeling you get when you’re overwhelmed by work, family issues, or a global pandemic. There are two main types of stress: acute and chronic. Acute stress is short-term and often linked to specific events, like giving a presentation or taking a test. Chronic stress, however, endures over time and may be triggered by chronic problems, such as a stressful job or relationship.
How Stress Affects the Body
When you feel the pressure, your body assumes the “fight or flight” position. That simply means your brain will trigger the signals that release hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. Those hormones help your body in case of danger and rush into reacting, but they cause your metabolism and appetite to be affected. Increased hunger and unhealthy food cravings go hand in hand with cortisol levels.
The Link Between Stress and Weight Gain
Therefore, how does stress cause weight gain? The higher cortisol level will trigger the body’s need for ready-to-use energy sources. In most cases, it manifests as overeating food, especially sugary or fatty ones. Sometimes, you may need a chocolate bar whenever things get stressful.
The storage of body fats increases during stress. However, it occurs primarily in the abdominal region. This may pose harm to your health.
Stress and Weight Loss: A Paradox
Curiously, however, this does not necessarily lead to weight gain. For example, several individuals will lose weight from stress. Most commonly, they simply stop eating, having lost their appetite. Sometimes, they forget to eat at all. It can be paradoxical, but this relationship is also very complex in that it affects all different kinds of individuals differently. Whereas some will take solace in food, others may not have the time or can’t stand its anxiety.
Behavioral Changes from Stress
Stress can impact you in so many ways. It may make you overeat for emotional comfort. You end up developing a craving for unhealthy foods high in calories. On the other hand, stress may reduce your physical activity level since you become too stressed to work out. These behaviors tend to make you lose or gain weight.
The Science Behind Stress and Weight
This article explores the relationship between stress and weight gain or loss. It examines the possible ways stress might lead to changes in body weight.
There has been clear research about stress and weight gain. A study has proven that chronic stress may affect metabolism to promote fat storage, impeding efforts toward losing weight. For example, in a study appearing in Obesity, researchers showed that subjects with higher stress levels are more likely to gain weight. Knowing these scientific discoveries helps you realize how you need to control your stress to achieve better control over your weight.
Coping Mechanism for Stress
Maintaining a Healthy Weight is directly proportional to the Control of Stress Management. In this regard, some simple coping mechanisms have been summarized below:
- Mindfulness and Meditation: Through mindfulness, one will be saved from becoming anxious and restless.
- Practicing Deep Breathing Technique: Deep breathing can be adopted as one of the quickest techniques to stabilize your nerves.
- Journaling: Writing is one very good way of letting all your feelings off your breast.
Nutrition and stress management
What you eat also determines how you deal with stress. Nutrient-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins will stabilize your mood and energy. Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon and walnuts, are also known to lower the stress levels of individuals. On the other hand, caffeine and sugar are stress enhancers.
Exercise as a Stress Reliever
Physical activity would probably be the best means of removing stress. The human body allows a person to release endorphins, which are often considered mood-lifting chemicals. These are excellent for lowering feelings of tension and anxiety. Do that brisk walk, dance class, or yoga session that will always be a part of your routine.
Sleep and Stress: The Connection
Stress can be quite destructive to your sleep quality, creating a vicious cycle of fatigue and stress. Poor sleep can also affect your appetite-regulating hormones, making you more likely to overeat. To improve your sleep, establish a calming bedtime routine, limit screen time before bed, and create a comfortable sleep environment.
Building a Support System
A strong support system can help reduce stress a great deal. Friends and family members may be able to offer emotional support, and discussing your feelings can lighten the load. If you cannot cope, consider joining a support group or seeking professional help.
When to Seek Professional Help
If stress begins interfering with your health or well-being, it’s time to seek professional guidance. Signs that stress is invading your life include persistent uneasiness, changes in appetite, and an inability to focus. Support can be offered through therapists, dieticians, and medical professionals, among others.
Conclusion:
Stress is something with which everyone has had some interaction at one point in his life. However, this stress is not a precursor of weight gain. Knowing how stress works and properly dealing with it will, thus, help you develop control over your health. Remember that stress control is a process and that some small changes may, therefore, have a bigger impact on your health and well-being.
Frequently Asked Questions about Stress Affects Your Weight
Not everyone responds to stress in the same manner. Many people experience weight gain, while others experience weight loss due to a lack of appetite.
It might be related if you find that your weight is changing along with increasing stress. Keeping a journal will help you keep track of these changes.
Some techniques that can be used quickly to reduce stress include deep breathing, walking for short walks, or listening to music.
Some people will lose weight during these stress periods, but this is not a healthy or sustainable way to control weight.
Results can be different, but most are said to change in a few weeks since taking up stress management techniques.
References
- McEwen, B. S. (2007). Physiology and neurobiology of stress and adaptation: central role of the brain. Psychological Review, 114(3), 311-328.
- Adam, T. C., & Epel, E. S. (2007). Stress, eating, and the reward system. Physiology & Behavior, 91(5), 449-458.
- Dallman, M. F., et al. (2003). Stress-induced obesity and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis: a role for leptin. Endocrinology, 144(3), 740-746.
- Chida, Y., & Steptoe, A. (2009). The association of anger and hostility with future coronary heart disease: a meta-analytic review. International Journal of Cardiology, 132(2), 179-188.
- Lattimore, P. J., & Kinnunen, P. M. (2018). Stress and weight management: the role of mindfulness and emotional eating. Health Psychology Review, 12(3), 257-278.
