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By Andrea Sangster of the Stress Management Society www.stress.org.uk Does stress make you gain weight? Science says ‘yes’. To understand the link, let’s go back a few thousand years. When we lived in caves, stress was a life-saver. It let us fight rival tribes or run from sabre toothed tigers. Under stressful conditions, our bodies would release chemicals that would help us run, jump and fight more effectively. The hormone cortisol in particular provided the body with energy. At the first sign of stress, it was released into the body. It then stimulated fat and carbohydrate metabolism, giving a ready supply of glucose energy to prepare for a ‘fight or flight’ situation. Once a cave woman… Nowadays it’s traffic jams, office politics and overwork that causes stress, not catching supper or turf wars with the neighbouring tribe. Yet we are all still cavewoman at heart. Like our ancestors, our bodies release cortisol at the first sign of stress and this is still gets our systems pumping. Stress is pretty damaging from a health perspective. It has been implicated in all sorts of serious medical conditions, from high blood pressure to cancer. However this prehistoric response to tension also spells trouble for our waistlines. All wound up with nowhere to go Picture the scene. You are stuck in a traffic jam, you’re late for a meeting and your stress is soaring. Right now cortisol is releasing glucose into your system. But in your current position, you’ve no way of burning this energy off through exercise. So you run the risk of it being stored back in the body – especially in fat cells around the waist and abdomen. But the bad news doesn’t stop there. Prolonged release of cortisol decreases our ability to digest food. In turn that slows our metabolic rate – the rate at which we burn energy whilst at rest. At the same time, cortisol also prompts the release of insulin in the body. That can affect our blood sugar levels, potentially leading to an increase in appetite. The end result is that when you get to your meeting, late and tense, you find you start to crave the biscuits offered with your cup of tea. And if you have one, then you are less able to burn off the energy it gives you. From distress to de-stress So how can modern cavewoman resolve this prehistoric problem? First, relax. Find a stress management technique that works for you. Self hypnosis is particularly effective, but yoga, massage and other forms of relaxation such as aromatherapy work equally well. Second, burn off the effects of stress. That means regular exercise. But you don’t need to make it to the gym for an hour’s workout. Even a brisk walk around the block or climbing the stairs instead of taking the lift will prove effective. Be persistent, and you will probably find that this two-pronged approach will help ease the strain in your life. Not to mention your waistband! Andrea Sangster is a director of the Stress Management Society. This not-for-profit organisation offers advice, products and workshops on stress management for individuals as well as companies. For more information, see www.stress.org.uk or call 08701 999 235. |
| Posted: 23/12/2005 17:16:14 Last Updated: 23/12/2005 17:23:29 |
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