Does stress make you fat? Weight gain and stressful habits

Stress is a natural reaction of the body to the demands of the environment. This response induces changes at a physiological level, also affecting metabolism, causing the necessary resources to be mobilized to face the demands of the environment.

It is for this reason that it is not difficult to find people who claim that stress affects their weight, especially increasing it by asking the question: Does stress make you fat? Let's see the answer below.

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Is it true that stress makes you fat?

As we said, stress is a physiological and adaptive response of the body, which allows it to face a situation that is seen as threatening. The body mobilizes the necessary resources to maintain its physical or mental integrity, and for this it induces changes at a physiological level, and also in metabolism.

One of the main actions that occur at the physiological level is the activation of the adrenal glands, which release hormones, such as adrenaline and

cortisol. These hormones, especially cortisol, are known as stress hormones., and are responsible for accelerating the heartbeat, causing the heart to pump more blood to the muscles and other organs, preparing the body for fight or flight.

The normal thing is that, when the threat disappears, the brain sends the order to stop, in order to return to the calm before the appearance of the stressful stimulus. The problem is that, sometimes, it is difficult to return to a state without stress, prolonging the effects of this response on the body, and contributing to the appearance of various health problems. Even this stress depending on the personality characteristics of the person, it can appear and remain in the absence of real danger.

Since stress changes internal aspects of the organism, and its maintenance implies problems of health, it has been seen that it can also induce changes in weight, both making you gain weight and slim down.

Factors that influence the body's reaction to stress states

As we said, stress induces a series of changes in the body, involving the release of various hormones that can change people's constitution and weight. Depending on different factors, stress can make us gain, lose weight or maintain our weight.

1. Genetics

One of the main factors that influence weight gain or loss is genetics and its interaction with the environment. There are people who, when stressed, gain a few extra pounds, while others lose a lot.

2. Type of stress

Not all types of stress have the same effect on the same person. Acute or short-term stress has been shown to induce weight loss, while chronic stress, longer in time, contributes to weight gain.

3. Changes in lifestyle

The lifestyle induces that, in a stressful situation, one behavior or another is taken, although it can also be seriously affected by the stress itself.

For example, there are people who, when stressed, try to play sports to ventwhile other people go to the fridge to calm down. It is this second case that the relationship between stress and weight gain is much clearer.

But it happens that, even being a very active and athletic person, living a lot of stress can induce changes in decision-making, making people turn to food to feel gratification.

4. Mood

Stress that is caused by negative circumstances, and associated with depression, has been linked to weight gain.

How does stress make us fat?

As we have already mentioned, the factors that influence weight gain or loss are different. Next we will see exactly how are the mechanisms that make stress fat.

1. Hormones

Stress involves changes in the blood levels of certain hormones. The adrenal glands, in a stressed state, cause cortisol to be secreted. Cortisol causes blood glucose levels to rise, with the aim of making available all the energy and resources necessary for the body.

If this glucose is not used, it remains in the blood. As it does not burn, the body accumulates it in the form of fat. For this reason, stress makes you fat even without eating, since it is the body itself that transforms its resources into fat.

In this way, accumulated fat increases and fluids are retained due to high levels of cortisol in the blood. For this reason, the idea of ​​stress has been related to fattening the belly.

In addition, and as a side effect of this entire process, cells demand more energy, increasing appetite. If cortisol levels remain very high for a long time, a medical condition occurs, hypercortisolism, which is a symptom of chronic stress.

This increases resistance to insulin, a hormone that is responsible for promoting the absorption of glucose in cells.

Another hormone, called ghrelin, the hunger hormone, is also secreted during the stress response. Its function is to induce appetite through the intake of calories, in addition to promoting the accumulation of fat (adiposity) in the body.

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2. Changes in behavior

Stress implies changes in the behavior of those who suffer it, since it is a response to mobilize the resources that are possessed to get out of the stressful situation in question. It can promote changes in lifestyle and health, affecting weight.

Lack of time and living a fast-paced lifestyle can increase the likelihood of consuming ready-made foods, such as junk food, which is high in calories, high in fat, of low quality and few nutrients, in addition to reducing physical activity and sports.

3. Emotions

In stressful situations, the hormones serotonin and dopamine are lowered. These hormones are part of the brain's reward system. That is why when they are reduced there is a search for rewards, especially in the form of palatable food, which is pleasant and rewarding.

These types of foods, which have been called comfort foods, have high levels of fats and sugars, being very caloric and promoting weight gain.

• You may be interested: "What is emotional intelligence?"

How to avoid gaining weight from stress

To avoid getting fat from stress, the best way is to try to manage that stress and the associated urge to eat. It is important that any attempt to avoid gaining weight due to stress should not be done simply by wanting to be slim, but by wanting to be healthy, both physically and psychologically.

1. Eat anti-stress foods

A diet rich in vegetables, especially fruits and vegetables, is a very good option to avoid gaining weight due to stress.. They have many vitamins, minerals and other nutrients necessary for the proper functioning of the body.

But it is also very important to consume protein, present in eggs, meats, and legumes, helping to satisfy the appetite and controlling glucose and insulin levels.

Omega-3 rich foods, such as salmon, tuna, sardines, spinach, and chia, increase the levels of tryptophan, which is a precursor of serotonin, the well-known hormone of happiness.

2. Avoid stressful foods

In the same way that there are foods that remove stress, there are those that contribute to being stressed, and they can also be the direct cause of fattening.

Foods rich in sugar should be avoided, and also those that are highly processed or artificial, since they raise blood glucose levels and deregulate insulin.

3. Do not abuse exciting substances

Exciting substances include alcohol, coffee, tea, energy drinks, and nicotine. Increase blood pressure, increasing anxiety levels, which in turn opens up more appetite.

4. Plan meals

To avoid falling into temptations, it is best to try to plan your meals, making a schedule of when and what to eat, and trying to each meal takes the necessary and sufficient amount of proteins, carbohydrates and fats, in addition to avoiding having a caloric surplus at the end of the day.

5. Sleep hygiene

Sleep quality influences emotional regulation, making us feel more stressed and with more desire to eat palatable food when we have not slept the recommended 6-8 hours a day.

6. Doing physical activity

In addition to being the best strategy to lose weight or avoid gaining it, physical exercise counteracts stress. Increases endorphins in the brain, generating a feeling of happiness and satisfaction, in addition to the fact that, once the physical activity is carried out, a very therapeutic state of relaxation is induced.

7. Identify the source of stress

Getting fat is just an effect of stress, and what should concern us most is the negative effects on our health of that prolonged stress. We must do an introspection exercise and try to find out where this stress comes from, what causes it. Thus, once identified, we can look for resources to deal with it.

In case you do not know where it could come from, seeking the help of a psychologist is a very good option, since he or she will give us the guidelines and therapeutic strategies to discover the source of discomfort and know how face it.

Bibliographic references:

• Baratucci, Y. (2011). Stress and feeding.
• Van Jaarsveld, C. H., Fidler, J. A., Steptoe, A., Boniface, D., & Wardle, J. (2009). Perceived stress and weight gain in adolescence: a longitudinal analysis. Obesity, 17 (12), 2155-2161.
• Yau, Y. H., & Potenza, M. N. (2013). Stress and eating behaviors. Minerva endocrinologica, 38 (3), 255.
• Brydon, L. (2011). Adiposity, leptin and stress reactivity in humans. Biological Psychology, 86 (2), 114-120.