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Jul 11
Stress related obesity, what’s the cure?
You’re stressed out, so what do you do? Unfortunately many of us eat under stress. It’s called emotional eating; food provides a source of comfort. Sometimes it’s because our bodies are burning calories faster when we are under stress and we are actually hungry. It’s not surprising that the number one predictor of weight gain or of gaining back our weight is stress eating. According to Dr John Foreyt, director of behavioral Medicine research at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, “When people are under stress, to get rid of the negative feelings they tend to revert to eating high-fat or high-calorie foods they liked in childhood.”
In research from the University of California, San Francisco suggests that we’re actually biologically wired for this behavior. Consuming food that’s laden with sugar, fat and calories, scientist has found that it appears to literally calm down the body’s response to stress, causing a slowdown in the release of stress hormones. Though this can have a short term beneficial affect, some experts are becoming convinced that living a high stress life is a major contributor to the rising rate of obesity in the United States.
However, we don’t have to respond to stress in this negative manner. The healthier way is to learn other coping skill or even better yet is to lower our stress level. One of the best stress controls is to burn off that stress with some form of exercise. Initially you may not feeling you have the energy to exercise but if you will force yourself to do it you will find that the exact opposite is true. Exercising energizes you and recharges your body and mind. If you will get yourself into the routine of exercise, you will keep your stress levels lower, your weight under control and you feeling better.
Get your stress under control and get summer ready by toning up your body today. We offer a number of different classes to fit your schedule. Stop by Mind Muscle Fitness and witness one of our classes in action. We know you’ll be hooked once you see how much fun we’re having. You can also call 310-487-7886 for more information. We’re committed to helping you love exercise once again.
