Stress Weight Gain

YES INDEED! STRESS WEIGHT GAIN IS A BIG DEAL.

Stress, weight gain and obesity are directly linked to such imbalances as insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and more that conspire in a self perpetuating cycle to get you fat, and keep you fat.

STRESS CAN CAUSE INSULIN RESISTANCE

Chronic ongoing stress can cause Insulin Resistance, which is directly related to excess weight and obesity. That is where is got its name "stress weight gain".

Insulin Resistance is an imbalance of the blood sugar (glucose that is produced from the digested foods we eat) and insulin in our bloodstream, whereby our cells ignore (resist) insulin, and so insulin is not able to do its proper job of managing the glucose in our blood stream

It is well known from studies that insulin sensitivity decreases after a stressful situation, such as surgery, an intense work project or a difficult relationship. The result? Stress weight gain.

HOW DOES GOOD INSULIN GET RESISTANT?

Experiencing stress causes our cortisol levels to rise, along with other chemicals, which in turn causes the liver to release glucose into the blood stream (blood sugar). Although this flood of glucose was and evolutionary response we adapted to help us survive attacks by our predators, today we still have cortisol surges in response to daily life stressors.

Normal insulin production levels assist in the vital process of assisting glucose in the bloodstream to pass through cell walls to be converted to energy. However chronically high insulin levels (hyperinsulemia) results in insulin resistance by our body's cells, whereby glucose instead bounces off the cell walls after being denied entry by the cells.

In other words, it is as though insulin does not have the right key to unlock the cell door and admit glucose in. How does it lose it's key? Such things as stress, lack of physical exercise, overweight itself or genetics.

Common symptoms of the resulting energy starvation in the cells include, irritability, fatigue, confusion, headaches and intense carbohydrate cravings (see more on addictions below).

In an attempt to rectify the energy problem more insulin is dumped into the bloodstream in the hope of assisting the glucose, exacerbating the problem.

Over time the insulin becomes less and less effective at helping the cells uptake the glucose so urgently needed, and the glucose instead continues floating in the blood steam where it is taken back to the liver to be converted to fat. This is the simple origin of stress weight gain, however as we've learned it compounds from there.

The body's attempt to control the high blood sugar levels instigated by cortisol creates excessive levels of insulin that signal our bodies to store unused glucose as fat throughout the body. This also causes a rise in cholesterol and blood pressure levels, and other increased health risks.

Several studies have demonstrated that those with elevated levels of serum cortisol (caused by continual stress) developed Insulin Resistance abdominal obesity, Diabetes, in addition to other blood lipid abnormalities and hormone imbalances.

STRESS CAN CAUSE PROBLEMATIC BELLY FAT

Belly fat is not like the stress weight gain type of fat found anywhere else is our bodies. It is highly metabolically active fat that can produce its own hormones (some of them can promote insulin resistance), disrupt the hormone balance of other organs in the abdominal cavity, and even make more of itself!

If cortisol blood levels remain continuously high it creates a situation for the body where belly fat is stored in larger quantities to provide us with a powerhouse of fat reserves for our survival - as the result of a stress response that habitually stuck in the "on" position.

Stress weight gain in the midsection and the resulting hormone imbalances are also responsible for increased storing of abdominal fat in over stressed people and permanently elevated blood glucose levels.

If you are dealing with abdominal fat it's important to get into a good, reputable weight loss program; one that understands BELLY FAT LOSS in relation to healthful hormone re-balancing and stress control. With the belly fat loss issue under control any other body fat loss will go much better.

STRESS CAN CAUSE METABOLIC X SYNDROME

Stress weight gain and obesity can also be the forerunners of Metabolic Syndrome (Syndrome X),which is a group of cardiovascular health risk factors for which obesity and Insulin Resistance are underlying causes.

Symptoms of Metabolic Syndrome X include high LDL "bad" cholesterol, low HDL "good" cholesterol and an increase in triglyceride (blood fat) levels, all of which heighten the chance of damaging the cardiovascular system. Metabolic Syndrome is a serious situation that can lead to a heart attack or stroke.

CARBOHYDRATE AND GLUTEN FOOD ADDICTIONS

Stress-eaters, particularly women, tend to eat high-fat, high-sugar, high-carbohydrate foods in response to stress, in what seems to start as an instinctual attempt to raise blood sugar levels for the "flight or fight" response to stress.

Carbohydrates provide instant energy, but only as long as the blood glucose they are so easily converted to is available to the cells, which is not the case when insulin resistance has set in.

The problem is that excess insulin causes carbohydrate addiction by triggering intense recurring cravings in the brain.

Studies have shown that 75% of overweight and obese people in the USA are addicted to carbohydrates and gluten. The word addiction is used to refer to their narcotic like effect on the body/brain.

Gluten, another brain addictive food source, is a protein from wheat, oats and other breads, that creates the chemicals exorphins, which tell the brain to keep eating gluten. Over consumption of gluten causes inflammatory immune response, stressing the body and resulting in such symptoms as rashes, fatigue, digestive and bowel disorders, and of course more stress weight gain in the process!

STRESS CAN CAUSE POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME

Each of the stress resulting factors listed above contributes to an endless cycle - causing more stress weight gain, more fat storage and the more insulin to be secreted, in turn elevating glucose levels, causing even more fat to be stored in a vicious cycle.

As a result this cycle begins to contribute to the development of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), a hormonal imbalance that causes numerous menstrual problems, and is a major cause of female infertility, as well as skin and hair conditions.

Having PCOS means that your ovaries are not getting the correct hormonal signals, and studies show that in our high stress world this is becoming a growing problem for teens and young women.

Developing PCOS also increases the risk of developing Pre-Diabetes. This is a reversible condition, but if not corrected (see stress management below) it can lead to Type Two Diabetes, or Adult Onset Diabetes.

STRESS CAN CAUSE DIABETES

Continual exposure to cortisol causes our blood sugar levels to rise and remain high, over stimulating insulin production, exhausting the pancreas organ that produces the insulin. When blood sugar remains high (fasting blood levels above 100 mg/dl) but there is not enough effective insulin available to manage the glucose in the blood stream, diabetes results and supplemental insulin must be administered daily.

Type 2 Diabetes must be managed for the rest of your life and significantly increases the risk of heart disease, blindness, nerve damage, extremity amputation and kidney disease.

STRESS MANAGEMENT ENABLES YOU TO AVOID, AND EVEN REVERSE, WEIGHT PROBLEMS!

To combat stress weight gain and to reduce the risk of obesity and its related health risks, you need to FIRST get a handle your stress response.

The fastest and best ways to learn to intervene and manage your stress response is with the use of a personal stress monitor, and to get a grip on your mental response to stress by using daily stress relieving affirmations .

Naturally in the long term your stress management program will want to include health minded stress management methods such as diet, exercise, vitamin supplements, and neutraceuticals (nutrition that has a drug like effect).

Follow us on Twitter for more great articles like this , specials and free gifts.

Return to BLOG Main Menu
for more Stress Weight Gain articles