Stress and Weight Gain

Chronic stress in the body can cause weight gain. The human body is developed to deal with short, high-intensity bouts of stress, such as a charging Saber Tooth Tiger, or a fire in a cave dwelling. Such things as the frustration of daily traffic and monthly mortgage payment didn’t really come up too often in the ancient world, and our bodies are simply not designed to withstand the chronic stress that seems so abundant in current culture.

Stress releases a whole cocktail of hormones inside the body that do things like ratchet up adrenalin, good for encounters that require fighting or very swift feet for running away (hence the term ”Fight of Flight”).

However, when it is a daily occurrence, these hormones damage the body and are one of the main causes of a large mid-section.

In addition, stress releases a powerful steroid called cortisol, which encourages your body to store fat and gain weight. It just so happens that your belly is a convenient container for this fat. You can take steps to manage stress.