Does Stress Cause Weight Gain?
By Carolyn Richardson
Stress can make you do things you wouldn’t otherwise do. Your reaction to stress, be it overeating or eating junk food, is partly due to hormones. Cortisol, the so-called stress hormone, controls metabolic functions in the body and is one of the hormones released during the body’s fight or flight response which is activated by stress. At normal levels, the energy and stamina you need to escape danger is regulated in part by cortisol. But in excess, cortisol can kill your ability to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Cortisol and Appetite
Under normal conditions, cortisol activates energy from fat and carbohydrate stores, stimulates insulin release and helps maintain blood sugar levels. These are necessary metabolic processes that control appetite. The regular pattern of cortisol release is highest in the early morning and lowest around midnight. When this pattern is thrown off by excess cortisol released due to stress, an increase in appetite results. Not only have multiple studies found those with higher levels of cortisol eat more than those who secreted less, but a different study found that a stressful event could impair the brain’s ability to control food intake. Adversely, that study, led by researchers in the Hotchkiss Brain Institute (HBI) at the University of Calgary, found that blocking stress hormones could reverse the brain’s impairment to control appetite.
Cortisol and Abdominal Fat
Excess levels of cortisol not only affect how much you want to eat, it also affects where you put on weight. A study found higher levels of cortisol was connected to women storing fat in their abdominal area. Published in Psychosomatic Medicine, the results found, “Central fat distribution is related to greater psychological vulnerability to stress and cortisol reactivity.” With abdominal fat highly associated with heart disease and diabetes, taking note of your visceral fat by tracking your waist-to-hip ratio could help you assess how stress may be affecting your body composition.
Alleviating Stress and Normal Cortisol Levels
With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting up to 90% of the doctor visits in the US may be triggered by a stress-related illness, getting rid of stress is important to your overall health. The counterpart to the fight or flight response is the relaxation response where physiological processes return to a normal state. For those who endure continual stressful situations, the relaxation response, and its cortisol lowering effect can be induced by exercise, meditation, deep breathing exercises, and other stress-management techniques. While predicting how stress affects cortisol levels is difficult because people react differently to stressful events, we can all benefit from letting go of the weight that extra stress can put on our lives.
Your thoughts...
Are you sensitive to stress so much so it causes you to sabotage your diet and exercise routine?
Comments
I can def relate to this post as I am a stress/emotional eater. I have battled weight issues with my weight going up and down my entire life. When I am stressed and on the gain there are no breathing exercises that would help, nor anything else for that matter. It's only when it clicks in my head to stop the madness of overeating and losing control. I have just lost 25 lbs and struggling to keep it off as my stress level has increased this past 2 weeks. Today I have vowed to myself to try to stay on track. I can only hope and pray...
I also lose weight when I am stressed - no appetite and feel like my heart is racing. When I am happy then I can eat like a horse! (perhaps unrelated, but I do not suffer with weight issues so fortunately stress or no stress my weight never fluctuates more than 5lbs.)
Interesting. My fat is located in the abdominal area and I have higher than normal levels of cortisol - have had for years. Even in periods where I did not feel I was having stress in my life, my cortisol levels where very high - and I do meditate (though I have to admit, not every day).
I lost my 14yo daughter very suddenly and I put on 14 Lbs, eating and drinking too much. Only now - 20 months later I have lost 75% of this weight gain and only exercise releaves me of tension headaches !
I find that the every day kind of stress that may come up occasionaly makes me want to eat more, and I struggle with that. But real intense stress, like when my husband had a heart attack (he survived) cause me to drop 20lbs in two weeks without even realizing it. I completely lost my appetite.
I gain weight when stressed.
I find it interesting the responses here though. Some gain and some lose. I little while ago I purchased a book online called 'The Gabriel Method'... It's a diet free method for losing weight.
The author (Jon Gabriel), talks about the role of cortisol in our metabolism and also talks about this 'fight or flight' response to stress. If our body chooses to fight we tend to gain weight but if our body chooses flight we tend to lose weight in order to make it easier for us to 'escape' (Jon calls it the 'get thin or get eaten' principle... it comes from a time when humans were on the menu for other animals like bears, tigers etc). This is why two people can face the same stress and one will gain weight while the other loses weight.
It's a really interesting book
I also can't eat when I'm stressed...but prolonged stress that turns into depression will completely kill my exercise routine and instigates poor eating habits... When I've had debilitating depression (twice in my life), it's like my "mothering" persona tries to "feed" my heart. Add to that, when I'm happy (like dnxx1) I also eat as if I am celebrating life again!
Food addiction is the hardest addiction in my opion. My first husband was an alcoholic and I always felt that you certainly didn't need alcohol to physically survive. On the other side of the coin, you DO need food to physically survive - so dealing with eating issues is additionally complex.
Original Post by: jewel1966I gain weight when stressed.
I find it interesting the responses here though. Some gain and some lose. I little while ago I purchased a book online called 'The Gabriel Method'... It's a diet free method for losing weight.
The author (Jon Gabriel), talks about the role of cortisol in our metabolism and also talks about this 'fight or flight' response to stress. If our body chooses to fight we tend to gain weight but if our body chooses flight we tend to lose weight in order to make it easier for us to 'escape' (Jon calls it the 'get thin or get eaten' principle... it comes from a time when humans were on the menu for other animals like bears, tigers etc). This is why two people can face the same stress and one will gain weight while the other loses weight.
It's a really interesting book
Wow that is really interesting! Thanks for the tip on the book.
Original Post by: dkhilliardI can def relate to this post as I am a stress/emotional eater. I have battled weight issues with my weight going up and down my entire life. When I am stressed and on the gain there are no breathing exercises that would help, nor anything else for that matter. It's only when it clicks in my head to stop the madness of overeating and losing control. I have just lost 25 lbs and struggling to keep it off as my stress level has increased this past 2 weeks. Today I have vowed to myself to try to stay on track. I can only hope and pray...
Sounds so familiar glad it isnt just me who does this.
I find that anxiety really dulls my appetite, but garden variety stress, which I have most of the time, causes me to eat. ( Especially at night, unfortunately! )
For me, in the situations of stress and depression, they're both factors that can both be the cause of me indulging in food as well as completely losing my appetite in food.
Sometimes when I'm either stressed or depressed, I refuse to eat until I find something to get rid of those negative emotions. Other times I feel like I have to eat something to calm me down or just to make me happy.
Hurricane Isabel caused massive damage to my neighborhood in Virginia. i gained 50 pounds, I think because of the stress and we could not cook for months (my gas floated away and we had water in the gas lines). We mostly ate Red Cross disaster relief food for a few months). I have lost a lot of this, but noticed that my eating was not controllable during hurricane Irene a week ago and I was hungry through the whole storm. Since stress levels are greatly increased at these specific times I can say that this is exactly how I react. Not sure there is any way to deal with it!
This so relates to my life right now. I've been thru a very stressfull time in my life for the last two years. My dad was battling cancer and I was working at a job where daily I thought I'd get a pink slip. Over the course of two years, I've slowly gained 25 lbs. I'm just now starting to get control again. But I find that day to day stress wears on me too. I do very good durring the day, but then come home and get "lazy". I think it's from mental stress, but some days I just can't bring myself to make a healthy dinner, and then the junk food takes over :(
After reading this article maybe I need to try meditation.
There are some very interesting posts here. It seems like
the key is learning to manage stress and not let food or drink be that agent.
Yes, this is exactly what happends to me. When I feel stressed, I tend to go to food for ccomfort, thinking it will relax me and the moment of sharing that time eating with someone else, is relaxing, but at the same time I over eat and I eat heavy, so it is a cycle, my fat tends to concentrate in the mid section and it is difficult to overcome at times. I have to have minimal stress, and excercise to relax and that balances me. But in life in general that is always a challenge.
I endured 2 years at a company that constantly intimidated its employees into working far too much unpaid overtime, all the while severely underpaying us. They made it sound like our job security was a highly unstable thing, fluctuating from week to week. We were discouraged from taking sick days, even! Strongly suggested working from home when sick, rather than actually taking a rest. I gained like 30 lb working that job. I'd be interested in seeing if there are any studies that show obesity statistics decreasing when the economy gets better...
The happiest week of my life- when I was able to be with the love of my life for the first time 24/7- I dropped 10 pounds without even trying. In a WEEK! 3 months ago we broke up, and I gained 20+ lbs. All in my belly. I have about an 8+ inch layer of fat on my belly, and nowhere else. slim legs, slim arms. I have depression and anxiety, and things get to me very easily. I absolutely believe this.
I find the comments interesting because I too have the same reaction to stress. Sometimes I overeat and sometimes I can't eat at all. I have discovered that there are in fact different kinds of stress. The stress that makes me eat more is more of that of frustration and/or anger and the stress that takes away all desire for food is more of sadness or loss of some kind.
Big, stressful events make me feel sick to my stomach for weeks and I don't feel like eating anything. When I was 18 I had a really bad breakup with my boyfriend after finding out that he had been cheating on me for months with my best friend. I barely ate or slept for weeks. I don't know how much weight I lost because I didn't ever used to weigh myself, but all of my clothes were huge on me.
On the other hand, less severe stress that's more constant makes me want to throw all caution to the wind and just mindlessly snack. I'm in nursing school right now and I'm stressed out pretty much everyday about exams, learning how to give injections, being able to get a job when I graduate, etc. I gained 15 pounds last quarter that I'm still working on losing. Hopefully this quarter I can manage my stress better by exercising.
I can entirely relate to this. I've always thought that stress was bad for my weight simply because it tempted me into comfort eating and drinking. Which is the root cause of my excess weight.
But I've recently realised that stressful episodes seem to be linked to periods of unexplained weight gain (or at the very least a cessation of weight loss), even though I have maintained my calorie counting and exercise regimes.
Now this I can relate to, the "garden variety" type of stress. Major stress shuts down my eating, but everyday stress about kids, school politics, the usual mom worries, that stresses me out.
OMG I wish I didn't eat when I was under stress--I'd weigh probably around 2 lbs! My life is one big stress pool!
OMG I wish I didn't eat when I was under stress--I'd weigh probably around 2 lbs! My life is one big stress pool!
I disagree with this article... For a lot of people, this may be true....but I think it all depends on the type of stress. And there are different stages/points in life that people go through. And it's different for everyone. I found that when I was unemployed, and going to school only-part time I had so much time on my hands, which caused me to eat more. I've always been an eater. I don't drink/smoke or have any other unhealthy habits. Eating has always been my problem... But my metabolism is already slowing down also and I am finding it more difficult to keep weight off, even if I am on a decent diet...
I'm 24 and recently moved out of my parents house for the first time, selling my car, using public transportation, living in a small studio, starting up classes again soon... I feel overwhelmed... I know it's good for me and should be exciting, but I didn't expect to find myself feeling even more down...(Have had a lot of issues with depression in the past...)
These things have caused me to eat a lot less, so I have lost a little...This is different for me... I still eat enough, I am probably where I should be with eating...and I'm sure it will decrease more, since I'm trying to budget my money a heck of a lot more...but since I won't have the luxury of having a car, I will probably find myself less likely to go out of my way for fast-food. When I was living at home, I drove A LOT and swung through fast-food lines all the time... & so I don't know - I think it may depend on the person, and how they deal with the stress...Even if I lose the 50 pounds I gained back when I was unemployed, I know I will always be at risk to pack it back on...I've had highs, and many lows...and recently life has improved again but I have a lot of work to do... I have been experiencing a lot of different types of stress, that are all new for me, but I know once I settle down, food will always be my go-to...
I agree with blancapstevens: I must be balanced, otherwise I tend to gain weight... The times in my life where I was more balanced with all areas of life, I found I was the healthiest over-all...
& also for me, I would eat regardless if I was hungry or not... for me it was just a comfort thing...feeling stuffed helped me sleep... Many times, I've been VERY unhappy with other areas in my life, and food was like my drug of choice. Not sure if anyone can relate to this or not, may even be a bit off topic. But it feels good to vent lol.
When I am anxious over something that requires making a choice, I tend to eat less. When the anxiety is over something out of my control (an impending blizzard, hurricane) I do find myself looking for bits of comfort food throughout the day. I try to be proactive when these events unfold, keeping busy and not giving myself too much time to dwell on all of the things that could go wrong.
Like other posters, I eat emotionally. Whatever anxiety I am feeling, I use food to patch over my emotions. So whether it is due to cortisol or no cortisol, I overeat when I'm stressed, anxious, nervous or even happy nervous if that makes sense.
I am trying to recognize what I am doing and funnel my food eating into something else - exercise, games, reading, etc. It is difficult. Habits and old baggage are hard to change, but my body and mind cannot take anymore overeating/binging. Just got to keep trying and know I have company.
Thanks sharing the interesting article.
I definitely tend to eat more when I'm stressed. I feel like it satisfies me in some weird way. I just "don't care". It's enjoyable to eat a handful of Doritos or have a nice cold beer..... Making myself feel good at the moment is more important than the weight gain. I feel as though I can always lose the weight by focusing - Isn't that type of balance what life is really all about ?
We can't be so rigid that we can't enjoy some of the great foods or tastes - They can be enjoyed, but we always have to come back and check our weight gain at some point - and like anything... if it's getting out of control, then we've got to reel it back in...... my thoughts anyways.
Stress seems to make some people eat and gain weight while other people eat normally and lose weight. I know they have done studies but are we to assume that every obese person we see is under stress or do they have an abnormal fondness for food?
I WISH I lost weight when stressed. If so, I'd be one small, skinny woman! I have had lots of stress in my life over the last 5 years and my abs is definitely where I carry it. I have read that Fish Oil and Vitamin C will help a little, so I purchased those supplements and am on a mission to get back in shape! 
Stress is my major issue with weight gain. I've had Gastric Bypass, and lost 164 lbs.. I was doing great, and then our son was killed in a motorcycle accident. He was only 23 and it hit me harder than anything I could possibly have imagined. I remember thinking "How can I still be living, breathing with this pain" It was emotional, but also physical pain! Since then, I have gained back 80 lbs. I have started losing some of that again, but it's amazing how much stress affects me.
I have a really hard time controlling stress - even when I don't feel stressed! I've been counting my calories, working out 3-4 days a week and I've seen just a few pounds go away in about 3 months. It's very slow, and I'm sure it's because of cortisol. I also have a lot of fat in my midsection - probably my biggest problem area - and I'm willing to bet the stress is why. I have a long ways to go and it's going really, really slow. It's very discouraging...
Jewel1966, that is interesting! Thank you for posting your comment, it turned the light bulb on for me! I have a tendency to be a "confrontational" (fight) personality, rather than a "passive" (flight) personality. It has never really occurred to me to "run away from the stress" so I battle it constantly with the most intense situations causing me to crave food to the point of distraction and of course, the resultant weight gain.
When I am upset or depressed I don't feel like eating, but when I am stressed out I have noticed I eat more, and I'll eat junk food when I'm stressed out as opposed to the healthy food I feel like eating when I am happy and relaxed.
Lately I have been very stressed because of multiple weddings in my family, as well as health issues and financial issues... And Boy have I been eating a lot of junk food lately. I just feel like snacking all the time even though I'm not hungry, and I haven't been as interested in the healthy foods I usually love to eat. I hope things will settle down soon and I hope I'll be able to work off the extra pounds I've gained.
I'm really trying not to let my stress cause me to eat junk and snack all the time, but I just keep doing it anyway. And then I get more stressed from the weight gain and the eating junk. Junk food makes me feel like crap, but I am having so much trouble not eating it.
I notice a lot of people saying that they lose weight when they're stressed because they can't eat, but what they're referring to is the kind of extreme stress caused by upsetting events. Cortisol is produced in reaction to the kind of everyday stress that lots of women take as normal - rushing around, taking care of kids, house, job etc. In other words, constant juggling. We do it so regularly that we don't even recognise it as stress! If you find yourself unable to wind down in the evening, waking up at night thinking about all the stuff you need to do tomorrow, or feeling guilty that you took half an hour out to get a manicure, you're stressed...
I am always stressed ... I'm a worrier by nature, with a low tolerance for slow, stupid, lazy or inconsiderate people. I exercise, do yoga and Pilates, meditate, .... eat healthy and take supplements ... and yet My cortisol levels are through the roof. I have always been a stress eater as well as an emotional eater .... to be honest I just Love food!! I have always been a Yo-Yo dieter by choice .... this way I can enjoy all those delicious foods I love. I would eat and eat until I reached the healthy/over weight line for My body type then diet my way down 20 or 25 lbs and start again. this time I have decided to lose the weight for good .... and I noticed something this time around .... every time I was irritated by something on the television or was made excited, I would pause the T.V and start manically ranting as I made My way to the fridge to reward or soothe Myself ... this must of been quite annoying to My family .... and breaking that habit is very hard. 5 months later and around 30lbs lighter I am learning to steer away from the fridge .... If I could only learn how to keep My cortisol levels from going into the fight mode .... and learn to not react to the environment around me ... perhaps I will completely be at peace emotionally and Physically. I wish all of those struggling the Best of Luck ;-)
dear beatlebabe--please accept my sincerest condolences on the loss of your son. stay strong.
or was it blanchejackson--I can't tell if the person writing is above or below. Anyway, I am soo sorry
I must be an odd ball!!!! When I was in a VERY stressful job (going to work crying, coming home crying), I would eat chocolate covered ice cream with chocolate chips and/or tortilla chips and cheese everynight with my Mountain dew. This on top of eating every meal during the day. I lost weight. I was at the weight I would love to be at again! Now that I am in a non stressful job, I am gaining weight even when I try to exercise EVERYDAY!
Hi- I had a hard time trying out the name above/below. I now go to the bottom of the page and that is how I can tell where the name and comment should go with the last entry and then anywhere in between. Thank you for helping me in this matter also. aea
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"When this pattern is thrown off by excess cortisol released due to stress, an increase in appetite results."
erm... i find i get the opposite - when I get stressed I cannot eat at all! I feel like my stomach is in a constant knot, I hav no interest in food and the thought of eating anything just does not appeal to me!
When I am happy on the other hand ... now that is a different story!