STRESS HAS STRONG IMPACT ON HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY

1. “Relation of Stress with
Overweight/Obesity”
RD-FASIHAAHSAN
SENIOR LECTURER & CONSULTANT DIETITIAN
UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF DIET & NUTRITIONAL SCIENCES &
UNIVERSITY OF LAHORE TEACHING HOSPITAL

2. Stress
 “A state of mental tension and worry resulting from adverse or demanding
circumstances or any problem in your life”
 Chronic stress can lead to “comfort eating” which often involves overeating of foods
that are high in fat
 Chronic stress contributed to increased risk of obesity especially upper body portion
and other metabolic conditions
 Factors involved in overeating:
 Stress
 Stress related hormones
 Effects of high-fat, sugary “comfort foods”

3. Types of Stress
 There are many types of stresses; some stresses are universal such as:
Loss of a loved one or a birth of child
• Physical Stress
 Fatigue
 Sleep deprivation
 Poor nutrition
 Lack of physical activity
 Illness and pain
• Emotional Stress and Depression
 Loneliness
 Anger
 Frustration

4. Conti..
• Stressful Thinking
 How you think about stress and how you react to it can actually increase
the stress
 Stress can be a result from your perception and interpretation of life’s events
• Example:
 Speaking in public is a great example of how each of us thinks and responds to
stress differently
 For one person, public speaking could cause a pounding heart, dry throat
increase in stress
 To another person, it is an exciting opportunity to share information with others

5. How Stress Cause Obesity
 There are two major reasons that explain how stress causes obesity:
 Physiological
 Behavioral
 Mostly, individuals who are stressed tend to eat even when they are not
hungry and the types of food consumed is unhealthy with too much fat
This is often referred to as “Emotional Eating”
 Physiologically, a limited number of factors result in obesity, the major
one being cortisol and cortisol-induced insulin
 Continuous high levels of cortisol play a significant role in obesity
development
 Ordinarily, Cortisol facilitates the body to manage stress, consequently,
when stress levels go up, cortisol levels equally increase

6. Conti..
 Cortisol catalyzes carbohydrates and fat metabolism during stressful
events. This results in high blood sugar levels
 The high sugar levels, consequently, stimulate the release of insulin,
which can lead to an appetite increase
 As a way of restoring the body back to its normal balance, the hormone
increases appetite to fill up the fat and carbohydrates
 The excess glucose in the body is transformed into fat, which results in
a large volume of fat stored

7. Stress Response
 Does Stress Causes Changes in Your Routine?
 Food Choices: Eat stress foods for comfort
 Schedule: Change your meal schedule (skip meals, mindless snacking)
 Sleep: Have trouble sleeping
 Lack of sleep can increase hunger and appetite
 Physical Activity: Exercise less

8. The Negative Effects of Stress
 Effect on Individuals
 When the stress level experienced by an employee is too severe;
 It can also lead to major health problems. It causes emotional discomfort and
forces a physiological reaction to the emotional stimuli
 Effects on Organizations
 A company whose employees are suffering from stress can suffer different
negative consequences that include:
 Reduced productivity
 Increased cost of production, reduced safety
 Incidences on workplace and violence

9. Effect of obesity: Health effects
 Obesity brings with it numerous health effects that include
stroke, fatty liver disease, high blood pressure, sleep apnea,
gastro esophageal reflux disease, hypercholesterolemia,
gallbladder disease and gallstones osteoarthritis and diabetes

10. Stress in the Short Term:
 Hypothalamus
- Produces a hormone called
corticotropin-releasing hormone,
which suppresses appetite
 Brain
- Signals the adrenal glands to increase
the hormone epinephrine also called
“adrenaline”
- When you are in this “fight-or-flight”
stage - eating is put on hold until the
stress goes away
If stress persists: adrenal gland releases a hormone called cortisol which actually
increases the appetite
Once stressful episode is over cortisol will drop unless stress persists it can leave the
cortisol levels stuck on “on” and stay elevated

11. Stress in the Long Term:
o Physical or emotional distress has been shown in animal
studies to increases the intake of food high in fat, sugar, or
both
o High fat and sugar-filled foods reduce the stress affect in
parts of the brain that produce and process stress and
related emotions
o Treating the stress with food may “turns off” the stress
response
o OUR STRESS - INDUCED FOOD CRAVINGS!
o High cortisol levels, in combination with high insulin
levels, may be responsible

12. Research Findings
 Harvard researchers have found that:
 Stress is associated with weight gain, but only in people who were overweight at the
beginning of the study period
 One theory is that overweight people have elevated insulin levels, and stress-related
weight gain is more likely to occur in the presence of high insulin levels
 In 2007, British researchers found that:
 People with high cortisol levels were more likely to snack in response to daily hassles
compared to low-cortisol responders
 How much cortisol people produce in response to stress may be a factor
 Some research suggests a gender difference in stress-coping behaviors
 Women more likely to turn to food
 Men more likely to turn to alcohol or smoking

13. Stress Management and Weight Loss
 National Weight Control Registry
 Tracks over 5000 participants
 Lost 30 pounds and kept it off for at least 1 year
 Most exercised by WALKING for 1 hour per day = 8,000-18,000 steps
depending on the intensity (light walk to running)

14. Tips for changing stress related eating
behavior
 Try replacing comfort foods (think: potato chips or ice cream) with
these nutritious snacks:
 Nuts
 Small amount of fruit
 Crunchy veggies and dip
 Soup broth
 If you crave carbs, try complex carbs like air-popped popcorn

15. Non-Food Ways to Manage Stress
 Meditation
 Studies show that meditation reduces stress
 Meditation may also help people become more mindful of food choices
 Relax Melodies, Headspace, Take a Break! (both Android and iPhone)
 Exercise
 Intense exercise increases cortisol levels temporarily, but low-intensity exercise seems to reduce them
 Some physical activities, such as yoga have elements of both exercise and meditation
 Increases your brain's feel-good neurotransmitters, called endorphins;
 Can improve your mood and increase self-confidence
 Improve your sleep, which is often disrupted by stress

16. Conti..
 Social Support
 Friends and family seem to have a buffering effect on the stress that people experience
 Forgive Others
 Holding grudges leads to psychological stress and higher heart rates
 Therapy or Counseling
 Helpful for reshaping our thoughts about daily stresses
 Managing depression/emotions
 Experts in behavior change

17. Stress Busters
 Ways to Manage Stress
 Positive Self Talk
 I will do the best I can
 I can get help if I need it
 We can work it out
 I won't let this problem get me down
 I don’t have 45 minutes for the gym, but I can go for 20 minutes. I’ll burn more calories than if I
didn’t go at all
 I haven’t lost as much weight as I had wanted, but I have lost some and weight loss reduces health
risks
 Emergency Stress Stoppers
 Take 5 Deep Breaths
 Take a walk
 Don't be afraid to say "I'm sorry" if you make a mistake
 Break down big problems into smaller parts

18. Stress Busters
 Take 15 Minutes Every Day for Something You Enjoy
Read a book or magazine
Start an art project (paint/draw, create a scrap book)
Take up a hobby, new or old
Spend time with friends or children.
Listen to music
Take a nature walk — listen to the birds, identify trees and flowers.
Make a list of everything you still want to do in life
 Learn How To Relax and Practice Often
Let’s Practice Today!
Sit in a comfortable position with your feet on the floor and your hands in your lap or lie down. Close your
eyes. Picture yourself in a peaceful place. Perhaps you're lying on the beach, walking in the mountains or
floating in the clouds. Hold this scene in your mind
Inhale and exhale. Focus on breathing slowly and deeply
Repeat for 5-10 minutes

19. THANKYOU!!!