Stress Can Be The Reason You Are Fat

ongoing stress makes it much harder for you to stay away from food

Never underestimate the power of stress to cause you to overeat and to eat junk! Everybody has their own ‘comfort food’ and it usually involves high fat and large portions and this research shows that ongoing stress makes it much harder for you to stay away from it. The study done by the Depts of Psychiatry and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine utilized lab rats to create a stress model similar to the stress suffered by humans throughout the day and monitored their subsequent food intake patterns. 

The scientists said that the research results pointed to a conclusion suggesting that the that the signal markers that were responsible for the control of ingestive behaviour had become significantly impaired or were being overridden when the rats were put under stress. The research which was published in the American Journal of Physiology also observed that following stressful periods the rats tended to eat less frequently but in much larger quantities. 

There’s definitely a lot to be said for good sleep which induces relaxation and stress free thinking patterns. If you are somebody who struggles to maintain a healthy weight you should be aware of the dangers of stress and you should also make a special effort to sleep well every night. The body often reacts to tiredness by making you feel hungry in an attempt to give you energy from calories.

Probably the best thing to do if you experience stress induced weight gain is to get down to the gym.  Not only will you burn off surplus calories but a number of clinical research projects show that a good workout relaxes not only the body but also the mind. Many stressed out executives say that they exercise not because of the physical benefits but purely because the exercise helps them to switch off completely.