Why do some people have such a hard time losing weight and keeping it off?
DO: It’s not enough to focus only on what we eat and other behaviors; we need to work at a deeper level. The real epidemic in our country is not only obesity but also depression, isolation, and loneliness. As one patient told me, “When I feel lonely and depressed, I eat a lot of fat. It fills the void. Fat coats my nerves and numbs the pain.” People often overeat when they’re feeling stressed, lonely, and depressed –“comfort foods.” Everyone knows that diet and exercise play a role in how much we weigh, but many are surprised to learn what a powerful role emotional stress has in causing us to gain weight and how stress management techniques can help us to lose it and keep it off. Chronic emotional stress causes us to gain weight in several important ways: • Many people overeat to cope with feeling stressed, and they often tend to eat foods that are high in fat, salt and sugar as well. • Chronic emotional stress stimulates your brain to release hormones that cause you to gain weight, e
