Stress can cause uncontrolled weight gain

Ngoc Linh (Source: Medicalnewstoday) - Tuesday, August 6, 2024 19:00 (GMT+7)

Stress can be a cause of obesity. Photo: MEDICALNEWSTODAY

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), stress is a normal response to everyday pressures. However, chronic stress can negatively affect both your mental and physical health.

How does stress affect weight?

When a person is stressed, their body responds by releasing hormones that trigger the fight-or-flight response. These hormones divert blood flow away from the digestive tract and toward the muscles and organs that are most needed for immediate survival. As a result, digestion slows down.

The stress hormone “cortisol” temporarily raises blood sugar levels, giving the person the energy they need to deal with the immediate stressor. Once the perceived threat is over, blood sugar levels return to normal.

However, if a person is under prolonged or “chronic” stress, their body does not have a chance to recover.

As a 2022 review explains, cortisol increases blood sugar levels, which in turn increases blood insulin levels. Chronic stress can cause consistently high insulin levels. This can lead to insulin resistance, in which the body’s cells no longer respond properly to insulin. One effect of this is increased belly fat and uncontrolled weight gain.

People with chronic stress often crave fatty or sugary foods to control blood sugar levels.

High levels of cortisol also prevent the body from making other hormones, including corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH). This hormone helps control appetite, and low levels of CRH in the body can cause a person to eat more than usual.

How to limit weight gain due to stress

Recognizing the relationship between stress and overeating and weight gain can be the first step in helping you prevent this problem.

An effective solution to this problem is to find ways to reduce stress. Effective solutions are suggested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, USA), such as:

Exercise regularly

Spend time outdoors and close to nature

Meditation

Limit alcohol and tobacco

Get enough sleep

In addition, controlling your diet is also a way to fight weight gain. Choosing a healthy menu, rich in green vegetables, limiting foods high in sugar and fat, as well as controlling your food portions to suit your body can help you prevent taking in too many calories, leading to obesity.

Source: https://laodong.vn/suc-khoe/stress-co-the-gay-tang-can-mat-kiem-soat-1376725.ldo