Can’t Shed the Weight? Stress Could Be the Culprit

Can’t Shed the Weight? Stress Could Be the Culprit

By Editorial Staff
ToYourHealth.com

Stress isn’t good for your health, pure and simple, and research continues to prove it. The latest study links chronic stress with weight gain and difficulty losing weight. According to the study, which tracked more than 2,500 men and women ages 54 and older for more than a decade, levels of cortisol (appropriately nicknamed “the stress hormone” in the hair were predictive of obesity.

Cortisol is released in response to stress, and evidence suggests chronic high cortisol levels may cause fat accumulation (particularly around the waist) and increase the likelihood fat cells will do what they do best: store fat.

Many strategies can be effective for weight loss, including dietary and activity changes. If those aren’t working for you, maybe your high stress levels could be compromising even your best efforts.