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HEALTHY YOU! Can stress lead to weight gain?
Worrying about a presentation for work, finding employment, concern about your retirement fund given the current state of the US economy.
Whatever the case, stress can completely take you out of your normal routine. Well, that's the way it works in my world. Waking up early, going to bed late.
Working extra hours to catch up, making sure the kids are okay. Sometimes it's just overwhelming. Some of us eat more, exercise less and vice versa. So does that change in our daily routine and the increased stress cause us to gain weight?
Mayo Clinic psychiatrist Daniel Hall-Flavin, M.D., and colleagues offer the following information on the subject of stress and weigh gain.
Some people do tend to gain weight when under stress. When you're stressed out, you may find it more difficult to maintain healthy-eating habits. Also, many people may eat in an attempt to fulfill emotional needs during a particularly stressful time. These and other factors can contribute to stress-related weight gain.
However, some popular diet books suggest that a hormone — cortisol — secreted by your body during stress actually causes you to gain weight. It is true that prolonged exposure to very high levels of cortisol — such as due to Cushing's syndrome — can result in weight gain. Cushing's syndrome is a medical condition in which your adrenal glands make too much cortisol.
Emotional stress in some people may cause mild, temporary increases in cortisol. But there is no evidence that the amount of cortisol produced by a healthy individual under stress is enough to cause weight gain. Rarely, chronic stress — stress that lasts months or years, instead of days or weeks — may elevate cortisol levels sufficiently enough and for a long enough period to cause weight gain. A blood test can check your cortisol level.
For more information related to this topic visit www.mayoclinic.com.
Tibberly G. Ríchard served as an entertainment writer for EURweb.com for a number of years. She also served as an on air personality with RadioScope, the Entertainment Magazine of the Air. Ms. Ríchard currently does a weekly television segment called The Parents' Corner, and runs a consulting business. She received a BA in Mass Communications from Southern University A&M College , Baton Rouge , Louisiana and completed Masters Degree courses in Public Administration from Southern University, Baton Rouge , Louisiana and the University of Maryland , College Park . She also received a Certificate of Completion, Charles Hamilton Houston Law School Preparatory Institute, Georgetown University Law Center, Summer Program.
Contact her via tibberlyrichard@eurweb.com, or tgr@vit-com.com. "My greatest joy is my two-year old ‘hand-full’ of a son Caleb W. Cox. He inspires me to be better in every aspect of my life. He is my reason for writing this column. I love you sweetheart. I thank God that you chose me!" Mommy.
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