Is stress making me fat? This is a very important question and one that is supported by observations within society and peer reviewed medical/science journals. In our clinic, we frequently see high achieving woman repeating the same thing over and over - “I can’t loss any weight despite exercising daily and eating very little”. These individuals are often mothers, working full-time in a professional jobs, eat a healthy balanced diet and go to the gym often normally for a #HIIT session (given time is tight). One of the first things we do is send them to our clinic (25 Harley Street, W1G 9QW) for a simple blood draw that typically reveals #insulinresistance and elevated #cortisol. Insulin resistance normally coexists with elevated insulin, or hyperinsulinemia (1). More on #
insulin later. Next cortisol. Cortisol, is one of the stress hormone that acts on the body in many different ways. In the event of a perceived stress, adrenaline (early response) and cortisol (later response) are released as part of the survival mechanism.
Adrenaline increases heart rate, elevates blood pressure and boosts energy supplies while cortisol, a catabolic hormone, promotes energy availability (i.e., sugar), and suppresses immune function (2). Once a perceived threat has passed, these hormone return to normal and the effects wear off. However, with chronic stress, such as those imposed by modern day life (work, social media and family pressures), the body can feel under constant state of attack and our fight-or-flight response stays activated. In this internal environment, chronically elevated cortisol can cause fatigue, depression, reduced sex drive, and drive weight gain (3). There as two possible issues with increased cortisol in respect to weight gain 1) increased appetite and cravings for sweet and fatty foods and 2) development of insulin resistance (4) and visceral fat accumulation (5, 6). These issues in combination with each other can promote weight gain and an inability to shift stubborn fat stores.
Insulin is a hormone that reduces fat breakdown (lipolysis) and increases fat synthesis by the liver for subsequent storage in fat tissue (7). In short, it stops the breakdown of fat and encourages fat storage, making it very difficult to loss fat mass when insulin levels in the body are high.
What can you do to reverse these issues? Firstly, if you feel stressed, have your cortisol levels alongside your degree of insulin resistance checked by a lab. We can arrange these simple tests for you (contact info@metabolic-health.co.uk). Then you can look to reduce the stress in your life. Take part in light to moderate exercise (avoid too much HIIT training), engage in yoga and perhaps some life-style therapy. Find a life-style and exercise intervention that keep you calm and help reduce cortisol that focuses on rest and a good sleeping pattern. You can also modify your diet to help reduce cortisol. Research suggests that low carbohydrate diets can increase cortisol while diets high in proteins can help reduce cortisol (8). In some cases, insulin resistance can be tackled using oral treatments and drugs, but only in the short-term to promote normal insulin levels. Please contact the clinic to find out more - info@metabolic-health.co.uk.
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