The hard truth is revealed
Unfortunately, stress-induced weight gain is a very real thing. When your body is under a high amount of stress, it releases the hormone cortisol, which leads to a rise in appetite. How does this happen exactly? Essentially a higher cortisol level creates higher insulin levels in your body and a drop in blood sugar, which is the perfect combination for junk food cravings to ensue. Dr. Jason Perry Block told WebMD, “This happens, in part, because the body releases chemicals in response to food that might have a direct calming effect.”
According to Women’s Health Mag, there are several other habits that stressed people do which lead to weight gain. Anxious people are often not getting an adequate amount of sleep. A lack of sleep, like stress, contributes to your body producing more cortisol. People who are stressed out are also more likely to emotionally eat and skip out on regular exercise. Not to mention, forgetting to eat when you’re caught up at work slows your metabolism and makes it more likely for you to binge later on in the day.
The lesson here is to kick back, relax, and not let worry take over your life or your diet.
