Stress-related Weight Gain

by Dr. George Best

Chronic stress may produce any number of reactions, including weight gain or weight loss, depending on the specifics of the case. With regards to stress-related weight loss, in most cases this effect is a result of diminished appetite and eating and is therefore within our conscious control in most cases.

Stress-related weight gain can also be within our conscious control if it is simply an effect of increased eating being used to ease stress. If you know you are eating more, or that you are eating more unhealthy food, it is within your control to modify this behavior. But not all stress-related weight gain is due to increased calorie consumption.

In many cases, high stress levels, particularly over an extended period of time will lead to an increased level of the adrenal hormone, cortisol, in the blood. Cortisol has several effects, but in relation to weight issues, the primary effect is to promote the storage of fat in the lower abdomen. It is believed that this effect has a survival purpose in that if one were subjected to harsh conditions for a long period of time, the body would need to conserve energy and save it in the form of stored fat.

As just stated, cortisol causes the body to store additional fat in the abdomen. For people trying to lose weight, it may be tempting to resort to hard exercise and drastically reducing one’s eating, to try to lose the accumulated stomach “pooch”, but this can be counterproductive.

High intenstiy exercise and/or a very restricted calorie intake can produce additional physical stress on the body that may trigger even more cortisol production. The higher the cortisol level goes, the greater the tendency to gain fat in the middle of the body.

For this reason, if you are under a lot of stress and you are putting on weight, you’ll want to take a moderate approach with both diet and exercise. Moderate low intensity aerobic exercise is most suitable for people in this situation as it helps burn calories without significantly increasing cortisol levels. Some of the best exercise options for someone with lots of stress are walking, swimming, bicycling, and low-intensity aerobics. Highly stressed individuals usually do best to avoid weight lifting and other high-intensity anaerobic types of exercise (such as interval training, basketball, soccer, etc.) as these activities typically raise cortisol and make the burning of the belly fat much more difficult. It is also important to continue to eat healthy meals containing at least some protein, as that will also reduce stress on the body and minimize cortisol production.

Although you may be in a hurry to burn off your stomach fat, continuing to eat healthy meals that include at least a little protein will help your body handle the effects of stress better and will prevent the production of excess cortisol and thereby help you lose the excess weight most efficiently.

Combining a healthy diet with low-intensity exercise provides the best opportunity for your body to recover from stress. This results in a reduction in cortisol and a slow but steady reduction in belly fat.

About the Author:

Dr. George Best has been assisting people with weight loss since 1992. For additional weight loss information and access to a revolutionary program to help you follow-through with your diet and exercise plans, please visit Dr. Best’s site on natural weight loss. You can get a unique content version of this article.