"Why am I fat When I'm Stressed?"

[historyteach]

I knew there was a relationship between stress and weight gain, but, didn't know why. Another reason to get the stress levels down...

Why Am I Fatter When I'm Stressed?

WebMD Feature from "Esquire" MagazineBy Mehmet C. Oz, M.D.

Because your body thinks you're about to starve. Thousands of years ago, hunger was a caveman's primary source of anxiety. When food became scarce, his body coped with the resultant stress by releasing steroids, which were absorbed by his omentum — a fat reservoir that hangs like an apron over the stomach — and promoting fat storage. And since your body doesn't know the difference between a demanding boss and a depleted herd of mastodons, your omentum will do the same thing when it senses stress. Having some omental fat isn't a big deal. But having too much is. Measure your waist at your belly button. If that number is less than half of your height, you're in good shape. If it's more, you could be in serious trouble.

Carrying too much omental fat stresses your liver, which can cause inflammation throughout your body and lead to high cholesterol. Also, an enlarged omentum presses on the kidneys, causing high blood pressure, and blocks the activity of insulin, which leads to diabetes. The good news is that omental fat responds quickly to dieting and exercise. So be sure to replace bad fats (trans and saturated) with good ones (omega-3's).

Telling them apart is easy: Good fats, like fish oil and olive oil, are liquid at room temperature. Bad fats, like those found in lamb and Tastykakes, are solid. And instead of hitting the treadmill, try walking briskly. Your heart rate won't get as high, but you can stay active for longer, which will help you burn more calories, which means your gut may be gone in weeks.

Mehmet Oz is a heart surgeon and the coauthor of You: On a Diet

Shalom!

[ladyamalthea]

Huh... then it would make total sense that I am prediabetic, considering that I've had anxiety issues my whole life. While I understand that I still need to find a way to overcome my compulsive binging, maybe this newfound clarity will help me to not feel so bad about myself, since there are other things that apparently contribute to my obesity. Thanks for that!

[Pony]

Lady, there are many things that contribute to our obesity and educating ourselves is the only way to get a handle on most of it.

Thanks for sharing this Teach. It was very informative.