What is the connection between stress and weight gain?
Stress, who doesn’t experience it! Unfortunately, stress is a way of life in today’s society. Some people experience acute stress and loss their appetite, while others face chronic stress. Too much stress causes the body to produce more of a hormone called cortisol, which in return triggers the appetite. Stressful situations trigger an impulse to do something, to move, and often, eating becomes the activity that relieves the stress. As much as one would like to blame all their weight gain on stress, eating in response to it can be controlled. Whether the urge to eat is driven by hormones or habits or a combination of both; exercise, nutrition and sleep are just some of the few ways to interrupt this cycle. E-mail nutrition questions to the Semper Fit dietitian at bowmant@usmc-mccs.org.
