This artiycle was taken from Digest Alive Lose Weight and Build a Great Body Naturally
Chapter One How stress causes weight gain
“Chronic stress and cortisol can contribute to weight gain” - Elizabeth Scott
Stress is one of the biggest factors that contribute to weight gain and obesity in many people today. There are several ways stress can contribute to gaining unwanted weight and one of them is called the fight or flight response. When our bodies are under stress we activate the fight or flight response. It triggers in our bodies the release of different hormones such as adrenalin and cortisol.
These hormones speed the heart rate, slow digestion, shut down blood flow to major muscle
groups and change various other autonomic nervous functions. This gives the body enough energy and strength to either fight or run away from danger.
It is our body’s natural way of protecting itself. In today’s stresses, we don't usually need to fight someone or run away to save ourselves.
Everyday, we have stressful times that we must face, like in traffic or during a stressful day at work. So, when we return home from our stressful environment, our bodies are ready to replenish themselves.
They need to return to their normal state by the relaxation response. If we don't let our bodies relax, then all the stress that is still in our bodies will start to cause damage.
When our bodies are under stress, the hormones corticotrophin and adrenalin are released. These hormones produce a reaction that stimulates the release of cortisol from the adrenal cortex.
Cortisol releases glucose into the bloodstream. When we are over stressed, the glucose releases an abundant amount of insulin into our body. Insulin is part of the endocrine system that is a fat storage hormone. This hormone overrides the stress signal from adrenalin to burn fat. The excess release of insulin gives the body the message to store fat in the abdomen and thighs.
The hormone cortisol can also contribute in other ways to weight gain such as metabolism and cravings.
Metabolism: When we are under stress, and our bodies starts to put out cortisol, this hormone can slow our metabolism, causing more weight gain than would normally happen. This also makes dieting more difficult.
Cravings: If our bodies are under a lot of stress, they can start to crave fattier, salty, sweet and sugary foods, also processed food and other things that are not as good for us. These foods are typically less healthy and lead to increased weight gain, because they make our bodies feel extra protection.
There are other ways our bodies put on fat from too much stress, like emotional eating, fast food and not enough exercise.
Emotional Eating: Emotional eating is an easy way to gain fat, because when we are angry, sad or frustrated, our bodies send out a signal that they need support. Our bodies then start to produce this hormone cortisol, which makes us crave unhealthy food so our bodies can feel more protected from all the stress.
The hormone cortisol, also releases an excess of nervous energy, which often can cause people to eat more than they normally would. Fast Food: Eating fast food can also cause a lot of stress and abuse on our systems, especially, if we don't eat right and are in a hurry.
The more stress which is in our life the more protection our bodies will feel they need and they will take action to balance themselves out. This means putting on more weight.
Not enough Exercise: Our bodies need a good amount of exercise everyday, to feel healthy and strong. If we don’t get some exercise even a little every day our bodies will start to feel stress in the way we carry ourselves, in the way we sit and stand. Exercise is essential for keeping our bodies in shape, so that we don’t have to work so hard to stay healthy.
