2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
According to the American Psychological Association, three out of four Americans have had at least one symptom of stress in a year. And according to the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, 22% of Europeans have experienced stress at one time or another for a variety of reasons - mainly work-related.
Unfortunately, one of the consequences of stress is the accumulation of excess weight. This can be due to both unhealthy food choices and your body's response to elevated levels of certain hormones such as cortisol.
What happens to our body when it is under stress
Even if this is not noticeable at first, stress can have an effect on your body. From tight muscles and headaches, to feelings of irritability, overload and feelings of lack of control, stress affects your physical, mental and emotional health.
In many cases you will feel the effects of stress immediately. But there are other ways your body responds to stress, such as gaining weight, which can take a while before you notice.
According to scientists, cortisol levels rise in preparation for your body to defend itself against the aggressor. Cortisol, the stress hormone, is released by the adrenal glands and increases in response to a threat. When this threat disappears, cortisol levels return to normal.
However, if stress is always present, you can reach oversaturation with cortisol, and it is an important stimulator of appetite. This is why many people respond to stress by turning to food. A food ingested when still we are under the influence of stress, is deposited in our body, but is not converted into energy, ie. cortisol has the function of slowing down our metabolism.
According to a study among female participants, those who ate during stress burned 104 fewer calories. The study was conducted as follows. Interviews were conducted with the women in the group about stressful events in their lives. They are then given a high-fat diet.
After the meal, women were required to wear masks that measured their metabolism through inhalation and exhalation. The results not only show a slow metabolism, but also elevated insulin levels. These 104 unburned calories, which may seem small, can lead to 11 kilograms more per year.
The risks
When the stress reaches peak or become difficult to manage, more serious long-term health effects may occur. Depression, high blood pressure, insomnia, heart disease, anxiety and obesity are all associated with untreated chronic stress. The risks associated with weight gaininclude:
- higher blood pressure;
- diabetes;
- heart disease;
- stroke;
- reproductive problems;
- decrease in lung and respiratory function;
- increase in joint pain.
In addition, there is evidence of a link between obesity and some cancers, such as cancer of the pancreas, esophagus, colon, breast and kidney.
Finally, your mental health can also suffer. Increased anxiety or depression can also occur when you inadvertently gain weight.
Diagnosis
The only way to find out if you gain weight because of stressis like going to the doctor.
How to reduce stress
Stress affects us all at some point. Some people may experience it many times a day, while others may not notice it until it begins to interfere with their daily tasks. When you are feeling stressed, there are a few small steps you can take to calm down, namely:
- exercise for 20-30 minutes;
- go outdoors and enjoy nature;
- give your body healthy food;
- Take a 10-minute break with yoga;
- ask your family for help;
- practice meditation;
- listen to music;
- read a book;
- go to bed an hour earlier;
- spend time with your pet, and if you do not have, take;
- practice 10 minutes of deep breathing;
- Give up caffeine and alcohol.
Stress treatment
Visit your doctor and consult with him. In addition to the above steps, you can visit a nutritionist specializing in this area to develop a balanced diet plan. You may also need to work with a therapist or psychologist to help you with ways to manage stress. In the worst cases, the need for drug therapy can be reached.
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