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Is stress making you fat?

I think that stress is the real reason that the majority of people are overweight.
So, yes; stress is quite possibly making you fat.

Let me put stress into 3 main categories:

1. Physical Stress – poor nutrition, dieting, dehydration, heavy work schedule.
2. Emotional Stress – abuse, trauma, grief.
3. Mental Stress – the daily grind, money matters, family problems.

All forms of stress cause a physical response in your body that you can feel. One of the most obvious is the feeling of nervousness, or “butterflys in your stomach” when you are placed in a stressful situation. It is undeniable that all forms of stress, regardless of its origin, will cause a distinct and very real physical response in your body. This stress has very real and physical consequences and it is this predetermined response to stress which can make you fat.

Here’s why…

CORTISOL aka The STRESS HORMONE

The biochemistry of your body’s response to stress is to produce a hormone called Cortisol which is released from your Adrenal Gland.

Now some Cortisol in your body poses no problem and in fact is vital for your survival. However, the chronic stresses of our modern world cause a situation where Cortisol is  released over long periods of time. This can cause major health problems, the most apparent with regards to your health, is Obesity.

Cortisol is responsible for Obesity via two distinct conditions.

1. Insulin Resistance
   Many studies have shown the effect of chronically elevated Cortisol on your cells – of which you have millions – is to cause them to become Insulin Resistant. When you become Insulin Resistant, you lose your ability to burn fat, so think about this for a minute… 

   If you are chronically stressed you lose your ability to burn fat, where do you get your energy from?
   Food, and quickly. And, the most readily available form of quick release energy your body loves is – sugar!
   Now, ask yourself this question: when you’re stressed, do you crave sweets and junk food?

   Unfortunately, the answer more often than not is “yes” and so that helps explain the link between stress and unhealthy cravings.

2. Leptin Resistance – Leptin is a hormone secreted by your fat cells and one of  its roles is to tell your brain how much fat is contained within them. When you are stressed out, and therefore  have elevated levels of Cortisol in your cells, you become Leptin Resistant. So if you’re overweight and stressed you will still have lots of Leptin, but the problem is, your brain isn’t listening to it. Your brain thinks your body doesn’t have enough fat in its cells. Now, that’s a problem!

So how does your brain react to these elevated Cortisol levels in your body?  It  forces you to gain weight by 4 distinct mechanisms…

1. It will slow your metabolism, making you feel tired and lethargic.
2. It will increase your tongue’s sensitivity to sweetness, causing cravings for sugar.
3. It will stop listening to your stomach’s signals that it’s full so that you just keep eating.
4. It signals to your liver to stop burning fat.

To wrap this all up…
Restrictive dieting and endless exercise will not work for long term fat loss unless you adopt a less stressful lifestyle too. By reducing your stress and the subsequent level of Cortisol, your brain and body will work with you to burn fat more quickly, help you gain energy and vitality, and free you from cravings.

Techniques to help you manage your level of stress is a topic in itself and will be the subject of future posts but in the meantime, I would love to hear what you do specifically to avoid becoming over-stressed in your day to day life. Leave me a comment below if you have a moment.

I of course think a massage is always a good start, so make sure you let me know if I can be of any assistance.

4.08.2011 | Posted inDiet / Gabriel Method / Naturopathy / Stress / Weight Loss