More stress - more weight

July 18, 1:45 PMSF Fitness ExaminerJim Evans

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the SF Fitness Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Adding to our already depressing economic situation comes the word that the stress of hanging on to your job, meeting your financial obligations, or even dealing with everyday family conflicts might actually cause you to gain weight.

According to a recent study in the American Journal of Epidemiology – “Psychosocial Stress and Change in Weight Among US Adults” (http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/kwp104v1) and reported in medpage TODAY (http://www.medpagetoday.com/PrimaryCare/DietNutrition/15002), men and women who are already overweight – those with a higher body mass index (BMI) – are likely to gain more weight from stress and anxiety.

Weight gain in both men and women occurred due to psychosocial stress in the workplace, lack of skill discretion, lack of decision authority, difficulty paying bills, or depression and anxiety. Men were more likely to gain weight in response to word-related issues while women were affected by the additional factor of constraints in life and family relationships.

Among the possible reasons for the relationship between stress and weight gain include higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which is associated with abdominal obesity, and the interaction of hormones such as glucocorticoids and ghrelin – which increase appetite – and corticotrophin-releasing hormone and leptin – which decrease appetite.

It’s complicated, but the findings are real. "Our findings show that stress should be recognized as a threat to the well-being of American adults, especially those who are already overweight," says Dr. Jason P. Block, MD, MPH, of Harvard, who was involved in the study.

The study took place over an extended period from 1995-2004 and involved a cross section of patients from 25-74 in age.

The message? Learn to relax and reduce the stress in your life. Refer to “Coping with stress during challenging economic times (http://www.examiner.com/x-11566-SF-Fitness-Examiner~y2009m6d3-Coping-with-stress-during-challenging-economic-times) and Coping with debt stress (http://www.examiner.com/x-11566-SF-Fitness-Examiner~y2009m6d3-Coping-with-debt-stress).