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Stress and Weight Gain - The Correlation

By Tess Thompson

Many human behaviors are controlled by hormones. Hormones are chemicals that are released by specific cells in the body. These hormones affect other cells in the body and act as messengers that carry signals from one cell to another. Small amounts of hormones are sufficient to alter cell metabolism significantly. In many cases, a certain hormone signals the release of other hormones.

Besides behavior, hormones affect growth, mood, and the processes that control the number of cells in the body, including the immune system, metabolism, and the reproductive cycle. They also prepare the body for a new activity. Weight gain is a significant feature caused by the disruption of the cortisol levels in a body.

Cortisol, termed as a stress hormone, is an important steroid hormone that is produced by the adrenal cortex. Normally the adrenal cortex secretes cortisol in specific amounts based on a daily cyclic pattern. The secretion is based on the circadian rhythm, and cortisol levels in the blood are usually the highest in the morning and lowest at midnight. Cortisol also plays a role in the metabolism of fats and carbohydrates, maintenance of blood pressure, providing energy, and stimulating insulin release for blood sugar management.

Cortisol levels in the blood increase in response to stress, too. This occurs since the body needs to prepare for the body to fight or take flight. Emotional stressors produce a similar response in the body. Disruption in the normal level of cortisol promotes weight gain because the final outcome of the effects of the hormone is appetite stimulation. Pharmacological use of cortisol, where it is referred to as hydrocortisone, also causes weight gain. This is due to an increase in visceral and truncal fat deposition that leads to abdominal obesity. High cortisol levels not only cause weight gain, but a number of other physical diseases, as well.

There is another link between stress and weight gain. Many people tend to eat more to relieve stress. Overeating for stress relief is a phenomenon known as ‘comfort eating’, which is also a major cause of obesity in stressful individuals.

The bottom-line is that managing stress is important for a number of reasons. Besides physiological conditions, stress can greatly affect emotional health and cause psychological disorders like anxiety and depression, leading to relationship problems among others.

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glucocorticoid
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortisol