Stress and Weight Gain

Weight gain is easy. After a hard day’s work, you come home, grab a pint of ice cream or a bag of potato chips, plop down in a chair in front of the television, and do nothing but eat and watch. Never mind that you have not had a proper dinner. Though the occasional snack-fest and television indulgence is something everyone is bound to do from time to time, stress can make it even worse.

For many people, eating can be a form of comfort in times of stress. The problem with eating any time you are stressed is it can lead to unwanted gain in weight. Likewise, if you have no exercise routine, then gaining weight is much more likely. Stress can cause you to change your habits, so sometimes even if you do have a workout routine, stress may curb your desire to exercise and eat healthy foods. Eating too much junk food, not enough healthy food, and avoiding exercise will not only mean gaining weight, but also a drop in your health.

Stress also increases the amount of cortisol in our bodies, and cortisol has become associated with weight gain. This is because cortisol can affect metabolism, slowing it down and leading to gaining more weight than usual. Just because cortisol does affect your weight gain and loss does not mean you should start reaching for those magic pills they sell on TV.

When you do stress, you should put emphasis on eating right and exercising, even if you do not feel like doing so. Exercise has been known to increase good, positive feelings, which can help you deal with your stress in a better and stronger fashion. Eating right can keep you feeling healthy, and if you feel much better you may be able to rationalize the stress you have.