Are you running from a bear? Why stress makes and keeps you fat
It might literally be a vicious cycle
I always grew up hearing something about cortisol and how stress can make you gain weight but never really heard anyone explain it to me in a way that made sense.
So I dove in.
As it turns out there is substantial evidence linking stress to weight gain and obesity and some very well documented mechanisms of action.
Several mechanisms contribute to this relationship:
Hormonal Changes
Stress triggers the release of cortisol, a hormone that plays a crucial role in the body's stress response. Chronically elevated cortisol levels can lead to weight gain through multiple pathways:
Increased appetite and cravings for high-calorie, fatty, and sugary foods
Slowed metabolism, making it harder to burn calories
Promotion of fat storage, particularly around the abdomen
Behavioral Changes
Stress can alter eating behaviors and lifestyle habits:
Stress eating or "emotional eating" of comfort foods
Decreased physical activity and exercise
Disrupted sleep patterns, which can contribute to weight gain
As a side note - anecdotally - I mostly have my food, health, hunger and food noise dialled in/solved, but if I have a bad nights sleep - my hunger is unending.
Cognitive Impact
Stress interferes with cognitive processes that are important for maintaining a healthy weight:
Reduced self-regulation and executive function
Impaired decision-making regarding food choices
Research Findings
Several studies have demonstrated the link between stress and weight gain:
A study of over 5,000 Finnish men and women found that stress-related eating was associated with obesity in women
Research showed that people with high cortisol responses to stress were more likely to snack in response to daily hassles
A study of 619 adults found that chronic stress had a significant direct impact on food cravings and body mass index
Hair cortisol analysis in over 2,500 older adults revealed that those with higher cortisol levels tended to have larger waist circumferences and higher BMIs
Vicious Cycle
Importantly, the relationship between stress and obesity can become a vicious cycle:
Weight gain and obesity can themselves be sources of stress, particularly due to weight stigma, or challenges in losing weight
This stress can then lead to further weight gain, perpetuating the cycle
While the evidence strongly supports a link between stress and weight gain, it's important to note that individual responses may vary.
Some people may lose weight under stress, while others gain weight.
However, for many individuals, managing stress appears to be an important component of maintaining a healthy weight.
Additionally - for those who seem to lose weight under stress (like bodybuilders prepping for a show) - the weight lost, seems to reappear at lightning speed when the competition date passes, suggesting that stress does win out in the long run.
Stress management
Look, everyone's hard is hard.
And I can't possibly write a monologue lecture at the end of this post on how you should be managing your stress.
What I can say is that for me personally, exercise both gives me energy and lowers my overall stress. As does being in nature, eating well, nasal breathing, sauna, journalling and spending time with my family.
I have worked in some insanely stressful environments, usually around and caused by some very stressful people.
It took years for me to take my stress seriously and then when I did, years of experimentation to find what worked for me.
Even if you think that you are not stressed, just entertain the possibility that you're more stressed than you should be. And go on a fact-finding/experimentation adventure to find out what will help you manage that.
I can assure you that none of it will be a waste of time.
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We promise there’s no cardio or calorie counting required.