Stress and Weight Gain

When I have clients come in for their first assessment I always ask them what their stress level is on a scale form 1-10.  A score of ten being "I'm absolutely stressed out of my mind!" and a score of 1 being, "I don't have a care in the world."  Most of the individuals that are at a score of ten or on the upper end of the scale say that their main goal is to lose weight.  After several more questions I measure their body fat percentage by doing a skin fold test.  It's fascinating to see the connection between stress and body fat.  Those who say they are overly stressed mentally and emotionally, tend to have a higher body fat percentage than those who claim they do not have much if any stress in their lives.  This is not always the case, but it seems to happen more often than not. 

When you are stressed your body goes into a fight or flight response, which leads to a release of various hormones.  Releasing hormones such as adrenaline or cortisol is a good thing, especially if we really are in danger.  But if we are under prolonged amounts of stress, our bodies can be damaged by these hormones over a long period of time.

Cortisol is an important hormone in the body and is responsible for the following:

• Proper glucose metabolism
• Regulation of blood pressure
• Insulin release for blood sugar maintenance
• Immune function
• Inflammatory response

If cortisol is continually released in the blood stream due to stress, it can take a negative toll on our bodies.  Cortisol can cause your cognitive performance to be impaired.  When an individual is stressed he/she is less likely to think clearly or solve problems.  High levels of cortisol can also suppress thyroid function.  The thyroid controls your metabolism (which is how efficiently your body utilizes energy).  Cortisol is also responsible for increasing abdominal fat which is typically associated with a greater amount of health problems; cardiovascular disease, stroke, and high blood pressure are just a few.

To keep cortisol levels low the body needs to relax at some point during the day.  If you sense that you are stressed, it would be wise to research stress management techniques to keep your cortisol levels down.  If you have unexpected weight gain, take a good look at your stress levels as this may be why you are gaining weight.  You are responsible for your own body.  Although work and life may be stressful, you can control to some level how you let work and life affect you.  Take charge of you health by getting rid of unneeded stress in your life.