Stress and Weight Gain

It can be difficult to lose weight when we are struggling with something stressful in our lives. Rest assured it is not your imagination; more and more studies show that it is extra difficult to lose weight during times of stress. According to the study, "Psychosocial Stress and Change in Weight Among U.S. Adults" in the American Journal of Epidemiology, not only is stress highly linked to several illnesses such as heart disease, high blood pressure and increased risk of cancer, but it is highly linked to weight gain.

This study looked at people who were struggling with financial problems, difficult jobs, strained family situations and troubling life circumstances. In addition to examining the stress and weight gain connection, the study showed that women in particular seem to have a harder time shedding weight when facing major life stressors.

The study also showed that people with high levels of psychological stress gained more weight if they were already overweight. When the scientists dug a little deeper to determine why stress was so highly correlated with weight gain they found that individuals who started at a higher weight were more likely to revert to old coping skills to manage their stress. This included a tendency to engage in emotional eating of foods that were high calories and low in nutrients.

The scientists in this study also found that weight gain in stressful situations is not only related to conscious lifestyle changes, but it is also tied into the changing levels of stress hormones that we cannot consciously control. Cortisol is a hormone highly affected by stress. Under normal conditions, cortisiol levels should be highest in the morning and lower at night. Excess stress will disrupt these levels and will impact how efficiently the body manages the food we eat and where we store our weight.

Overall, whether we lose or gain weight in stressful times is dependent on many things such as metabolism, amount of activity we get, and diet. Genes can also play a role in how our body tends to store weight. Overall, it is most important to find ways to effectively manage our stress levels so that we do not risk altering our hormone levels and sacrificing our weight loss or maintenance efforts as a result.