With the help of a pro, we delve into the unhealthy connection between stress and weight gain.
Ah, stress. Everyone experiences it from time to time, but did you know it plays a role in weight gain? Yes, if you’re constantly tense and under strain, it can lead to a spike in your cortisol levels. That’s a stress hormone produced by the adrenal glands – it helps your body deal with demanding situations aka the flight or fight response.
It’s a lot to unpack, right? That’s why we spoke to endocrinologist Dr Ben Ng Jen Min. For the uninitiated, this speciality involves the treatments of diseases originating from the endocrine system, which comprises a collection of glands that produce hormones. Dr Ben’s medical expertise covers a wide range of endocrinological problems including diabetes mellitus, obesity and thyroid disorders as well as reproductive, adrenal and pituitary diseases. Here, he answers all our questions on how stress can lead to weight gain…
The link between stress and weight gain
1. How are they connected?
This is all related to metabolic health. Simply put, the body essentially has two kinds of energy that it can choose to burn: fat and glucose. Fat is a form of storage while glucose is more readily available for energy usage.
However, during times of stress, the body feels it’s under “attack” and the immediate preference of energy utilisation is sugar. It’s easy to burn and can be rapidly absorbed. In many situations of stress, sugar is the preferred form of energy that the body uses. The main problem: the body can’t differentiate between physical, psychological, mental and spiritual stress – it all reacts the same way.
2. What happens when you’re stressed out?
Stress results in poor health and, in many situations, low energy levels, generalised aches and pains, and poor concentration. Patients can relate the symptoms as the development of other diseases such as arthritis or migraines. In some situations, reducing stress levels with dietary and lifestyle changes can improve symptoms.
3. How does cortisol affect your body?
Cortisol is one of the many stress hormones. When the body is stressed, cortisol levels tend to rise. In short bursts, this is a good thing as it raises the metabolic rate and gives us the energy to perform activities more efficiently and faster. It increases the heart rate, raises blood pressure and instructs the body to utilise sugar as an energy preference and conserve fat. This makes the body more efficient in coping with a transient stressful or dangerous event. The most important thing to note is that the cortisol level increases due to a combination of individual genetics and lifestyle.
4. Should we be worried about high cortisol levels?
Short bursts of high cortisol levels are actually good and help regulate metabolism. The main concern is that in stressful situations, such as chronic work stress and disease, cortisol levels remain high for a long time. This can lead to weight gain due to the metabolic and endocrine effects of the cortisol hormone.
The other concern: over long periods of time, the adrenal glands (which produce cortisol) can get exhausted and cortisol levels get blunted. This is a condition some recognise as adrenal fatigue. Patients who suffer from that have difficulty losing weight due to chronically raised cortisol. But at the same time, they feel exhausted with low energy as the cortisol levels fail to rise to the adequate level to deal with more stressful events.
5. Any simple ways to ease stress in our lives?
Regular exercise has been shown to reduce stress and improve overall sleep quality. It’s important to do the correct amount of exercise: approximately 150 to 200 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise divided over three to four days. But be aware that overexercising can cause physical stress – that in turn can worsen the situation. Tip: know your limits and progress slowly.
Don’t forget the importance of a balanced diet, too. We tend to be better at ensuring we have adequate amounts of fat, sugar and carbohydrates. But we often forget the importance of minerals (also known as micronutrients) which are essential for health. Having adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables, consuming enough liquids, and eating a variety of foods can significantly help.
As cortisol levels go up during meals, exercise and stress, it’s important to have adequate rest. Alternating high and low cortisol levels is actually healthy as it regulates your overall metabolism and gives you more energy to perform necessary tasks.
Lastly, it’s important to take care of yourself. We tend to get caught up in trying to relax or eating the right thing. In other words, the journey to reduce stress can become stressful. We all have different ways of dealing with stress but the most important thing is to understand yourself and be mindful of the things that can cause anxiety.
So the next time you experience weight gain, take a step back and reflect on your stress levels.
