Beat Stress, Weigh Less

The Connection Between Stress and Weight Gain

-- By Jennipher Walters, Certified Personal Trainer and Fitness Instructor

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These days, it seems that everyone is stressed. We all have too much to do and too little time to do it. Times are tough, money is tight, and deadlines are imminent.

What happens when you're stressed? You tend to eat more, sleep less, skip the gym and feel rundown. Additionally, stress is linked to a number of illnesses, such as heart disease, high blood pressure and an increased risk for cancer.

No wonder so many of us are gaining weight. A study in the July 2009 issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology studied stress related work demands, difficulty paying bills, strained family relationships, and depression or anxiety disorders in a nationally representative group of 1,355 men and women for more than nine years. The overall result? Men tend to gain weight when unable to make decisions at work, learn new skills job or perform interesting job duties. More types of stress affected women's waistlines, according to the study. In addition to weight gain associated with financial problems or a difficult job, women also gained weight when dealing with strained family relationships and feeling limited by life's circumstances. Overall, this study found that people who reported increased stress gained more weight if they already had higher body mass indexes. In other words, if you're overweight already, you're even more likely to gain weight when under stress.

Although everyone handles stress differently, these researchers believe that when coping with life's stressful periods, people change their eating behaviors—and not for the better. Food isn't the only factor that influences stress-induced weight gain; a person's gender, the types of foods they eat, and whether or not the person is already overweight or obese are all contributing factors. This explains why some people gain more weight under stressful circumstances, while others may gain just a little or even lose weight.

It's obvious that to fight weight gain or to lose weight permanently, we have to control and manage the stress in our lives. How do you do that? Why does the body react this way to stress?

The Science behind Stress
Stress serves an evolutionary purpose. Think back to the early caveman days when bills weren't an issue but saber-toothed tigers were. In preparation for a possible attack, our body's neuroendocrine system would send out a "fight or flight" set of hormones: adrenalin, corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) and cortisol. Adrenaline gives us instant energy, CRH decreases appetite initially, but later, after the threat is long gone, cortisol can increase appetite to make up for energy that was lost fighting the tiger or running away.
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About The Author

Jennipher Walters
Jennipher is a certified personal trainer, group exercise instructor, and lifestyle and weight management consultant. She blogs regularly about her own fitness adventures at www.fitbottomedgirls.com.

See all of Jenn's articles.

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Member Comments

NANCY25

i have found that exercise is even very helpful in combating stress.
Keep mind and weight under control. - 10/5/2012 12:08:35 AM
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UNDERTHEPALMS

All of this is so true and so necessary to apply. I need to not make taking care of me and eating the right things one more stress as I totally have in the past. - 9/17/2012 6:13:32 PM
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CKRIEG2

This is definitely true to my life. I put on so much weight during nursing school it wasn't even funny! On bad days at work we often find ourselves buying bags of mini candy bars for the break room for "stress relief". That doesn't even play into the difficulty losing weight while stressed, just the ease of gaining! - 7/3/2012 4:54:40 PM
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TDAENE

Stress seems to hold a band over the weight and not only keep it from leaving, but also seems to attract any passing fat and hold onto it tightly. I really don't have any free time to sit back and relax. I try to 'make' the time, but it's just not there. I'm just stretched too thin. Any suggestions are always appreciated.

Thanks guys!
Tanya - 5/30/2012 8:19:22 PM
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THEEASYKILL30

I've always known that stress is a bad thing for weight gain (and well, our health in general). When I started my current job, the added hours and additional stress of the new job caused me to balloon 15 lbs in just 3 months. That had never happened to me before. Because my job is so stressful (it doesn't have to be; it's not like I'm an air traffic controller, and yes, I'm looking for a new one), I know how easy it is for me to gain weight at the drop of a hat. When I had that fast weight gain, I hadn't made any other lifestyle changes. I wasn't eating more to "cope" or eating differently. It was just the d*mn stress. - 4/23/2012 12:44:18 PM
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LIZZIEB122

Everyone must spend some alone time if only for 15 mins, a relaxing bath with some calming music, stretch and meditate all good to relieve a little stress.

- 4/23/2012 11:59:36 AM
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JENNAAW

That is interesting but not surprising that overweight people tend to be more susceptible to weight gain when under stress than normal weight people. Another reason to get to a healthy weight. And the article is right on about stress being quite prevalent now. It isn't stressing over which cruise line to pick for a vacation, it is whether to get food or turn on the heat because we can't get both. I think this scene is being repeated all over so helpful ways to deal with stress comes in handy! - 4/23/2012 7:47:43 AM
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FREAKER1

There is no doubt that stress leads to over eating, because it gets me every time. Not that I go crazy, but I eat stuff I normaly would not. My weekness is pizza,wings and Ribs. Those three should be arrested for assult on my Body. Also living in Cleveland Ohio will make anyone over eat. Being a Browns Fan is enough to make you stuff yourself with Bratwurst to you explode. - 4/23/2012 6:42:02 AM
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MIRANDA2112

Stress tends to paralyze me and this in turn make me think of comfort foods. Good article, must incorporate some of these ideas into my responses to stress. - 4/15/2012 4:56:27 AM
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IHS1001

taking time to de-stress is so very important. i needed that reminder and it encourages me even more to not stress eat and to work out more. I will take time to reframe what is happening around me so I don't go back to old habits. - 2/27/2012 6:41:28 PM
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IHS1001

taking time to de-stress is so very important. i needed that reminder and it encourages me even more to not stress eat and to work out more. I will take time to reframe what is happening around me so I don't go back to old habits. - 2/27/2012 6:41:27 PM
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ARMONIA

Sparkpeople! Shame on you for bad editing! The grammar is horrible! - 2/27/2012 11:12:11 AM
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F3RR15

Considering the following perspective/advic
e from weight loss hypnotherapist Kristin Volk Funk (author of "As Thin as You Think") has certainly helped me manage my stress:

"My grandparents certainly had a lot more stress in their lives than I (two World Wars, the Great Depression, immigrating alone from foreign lands with little or no money, lack of modern medicine), but I can't remember them ever complaining of being "stressed". Think back...how often did the elders in your life say they were "stressed"?

Before 1950, the word "stress" was a term used only in physics to describe one force pushing against another. At some point, it started being used to describe an emotional state and quickly caught on as a "go to" word to describe everyday events.

Is it possible that one of the reasons people today are feeling so stressed is because they are labeling themselves as such? Happiness is only a few words away.

Try substituting "stress" with words such as "busy" or "fulfilled" in your inner and outer speech and enjoy the immediate positive results. Here are some thoughts to substitute:

"I'm super busy today and I love being busy"
"My day is filled with activities that I enjoy"
"Today, I have many opportunities to feel useful"
"I'm so grateful to have (kids, work, chores) that give my life meaning and purpose"
"I do what I love and I love what I do" "

Source: Volk Funk, Kristen. "December News, Events, and Cooking Tip." New Health Visions (15 Dec. 2011). Print. - 1/15/2012 2:07:17 PM
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NEWSGIRL2177

I think I can handle 5 to 10 minutes of quiet time to de-stress. Also, I know that the more I exercise, the better I feel overall and the lower my stress level. Until I can work back to a regular and consistent routine, I'll try the 5 to 10 minutes. Thanks, SP! - 1/11/2012 10:58:11 AM
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ABBEH23

I needed this article. I do not deal well with stress at all and have a lot of it in my life, at least a lot of it that I probably create and that doesn't need to cause me such stress...

I am going to make it a goal of mine to start REALLY dealing with my stress and making it better.

Thank you. :) - 10/27/2011 4:08:04 PM
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