Feeling stressed out? Here’s something scary: It could actually make you fatter, according to a controversial new study published in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology.
Led by researcher Kirstin Aschbacher, Ph.D., she says her findings show that weight loss isn’t just a simple matter of calories in, calories out–other factors can influence it as well.
“Chronic stress can play an important role in influencing biology, and it’s critical to understand the exact pathways through which it works,” says Aschbacher, Ph.D., who works as an assistant professor in the University of California San Francisco Department of Psychiatry. “Many people think a calorie is a calorie, but this study suggests that two women who eat the same thing could have different metabolic responses based on their level of stress.”
Studying a group of 61 women, Aschbacher initially looked at how high stress levels affected various health markers, such as insulin resistance, waistline circumference, and levels of oxidative damage in the body. During the study, 33 women were described as being “chronically stressed”–those dealing with consistently high levels of stress that took a toll on their mental and physical well being.
And, as it turned out, these stress levels made them fatter, despite eating roughly the same amount of calories as those who weren’t stressed out.
“We found that more frequent high-fat, high-sugar consumption significantly predicted a larger waistline, more truncal fat, higher oxidative damage, and more insulin resistance, but only among the group of women exposed to chronic stress,” says Aschbacher. “The chronically stressed women didn’t report eating more high sugar, high fat foods than the low stressed women; however, they did have higher levels of a stress-related biomarker, peripheral Neuropeptide Y (NPY).”
In conclusion, Aschbacher says this study shows that a calorie simply isn’t a calorie–perhaps other factors, such as how stressed you are, can change your metabolic response to certain foods.
“Many people think a calorie is a calorie, but this study suggests that two women who eat the same thing could have different metabolic responses based on their level of stress,” says Aschbacher. “There appears to be a stress pathway that works through diet–for example, it could be similar to what we see in animals, where fat cells grow faster in response to junk food when the body is chronically stressed.”
What Does This Mean For You?
Think losing weight is just about calories in, calories out? Think again. To lose more weight, make sure your stress levels are in check–suffering from chronic stress can make it harder to shed those last few pounds. As for ways to de-stress, experts recommend setting aside 30 minutes a day to meditate, take a soothing bath, or even listen to relaxing music to wind down.
Readers: What are some other ways you try to reduce stress in your life?
Source:
Chronic Stress Heightens Diet-Related Metabolic Risk, According to Researchers – UCSF.edu
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