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Stress is a significant factor affecting your body in extreme measures; however, it can affect your mental and physical health if you are going through stress. It is a feeling of emotional and physical tension created by a deadline. It usually occurs when a person is in an event or a situation associated with a challenge or demand. Stress is a mental state, but it affects your body too. Therefore you need to understand how stress affects your health and weight.

Stress can keep you busy if you are working in a stressful environment; it is easy for you to skip meals because your body is using the energy reserves that do not allow you to feel hungry, resulting in an effect on health and weight.

On the other hand, people going through stress can also gain weight due to a hormone called cortisol. When you come out of a stressful situation, cortisone helps replenish the person’s energy levels quickly, which can create stress eating.

To put more light on the issue, you need to go through the blog that allows you to know more about the whole stress situation and handle it better.

What are the health risks of stress?

Stress affects us in many ways; it can cause several health problems. Stress does make changes in the body; if it persists longer can create dangerous health issues such as:

• Hair and skin problems include eczema, acne, psoriasis, and permanent hair loss.
• Obesity and other eating problems.
• Menstrual problems
• Gastrointestinal issues like gastritis, GERD, and ulcerative colitis.
• Mental or mood problems such as anxiety, depression, and personality disorders.
• Sexual problems include premature ejaculation, impotence, and loss of interest in sexual activity.
• Cardiovascular issues include heart disease, high blood pressure, and heart attacks strokes.

These are some of the health issues that can appear if you suffer from chronic stress. However, the list does not contain all the adverse effects caused by stress.

How does stress affect health and weight? 

One common way that affects people is loss of appetite or overeating because of stress. It affects the way you consume food and maintains a healthy weight. When someone is going through stress, their body automatically releases a hormone known as cortisol, leading to weight gain.

Gain weight

When you come across a stressful situation, your body releases adrenaline and cortisol to help you go through the task. Adrenal glands release glucose in the body, which helps provide energy in the body that allows us to get that extra punch. When we meet the deadline and the tension is relieved, cortisol comes into action to reduce the effects of glucose in the body.

This leads to a sudden break in the supply of energy, and people tend to eat food that contains much sugar to fulfill the body’s cravings. However, this is not good because your body stores excessive sugar in the form of fat, leading you to gain more weight.

Lose weight 

However, this is not the only case related to weight, as some people also lose weight because of severe stress. If you are under constant pressure for a more extended period, there are times that you can skip the meals. And as the consumption of energy is continued, it can lead you to lose weight fast.

Likewise, when a person is under stress, a hormone named epinephrine is also released, which triggers the fight or flight in people. It increases your heart rate and improves your breathing, contributing to weight loss.

Note: These are some of the reasons that can affect the health and weight of the person. However, as mentioned earlier, reasons are not the only reason that causes such problems.

Ways to break the stress and correct health and weight

Following healthy behaviors might be difficult for you if you are going through stress; however, adapting to healthy habits can be one of the critical aspects you follow to get rid of stress. It would be best to maintain a schedule or a routine that can help you develop healthy habits in the long run.

Exercise every day: Mental health highly depends on an individual’s physical activity. Therefore, if you are under stress, exercising can significantly help you ease your brain. Physical activity can help you by reducing stress and regulating your body weight.

Stay hydrated: There can be situations when you feel hungry but are dehydrated. Many people get confused between hunger and thirst; therefore, drink a little water if you already had a meal and still feel hungry. However, you can eat if you still have some appetite left after drinking the water.

Eat healthily:  Eating is not a bad thing but eating junk food is not suitable for your health. If you feel hungry, you can eat a salad instead of a burger as it is notably healthier than the latter. Therefore making an inventory full of healthy food can serve you better if you are under stress and hungry.

Maintaining a food journal: Keeping a check on what you eat is also an effective way to keep your weight in check. It helps you be conscious and avoid overeating which can increase your weight.

Use stress-relief strategies; There are many stress-relieving strategies such as taking deep breaths, doing yoga, or reading a book that can help you manage stress better and prevent stress eating disorders.

Conclusion

Stress is a prevalent part of our lives, and we all have gone through stress at some point in time. Stress can increase cognitive abilities and provide energy that helps people go through the situation, causing tension. However, long-term stress can be challenging, and it can have harmful effects. The blog mentioned above describes how stress can affect your health and weight.

One of such effects is weight gain or loss, which is easily caused by stress; many reasons can cause changes in your weight. However, it only happens when someone is going through constant pressure. However, if you are one of the stress eaters, there are several effective ways mentioned above that will help you to improve your condition.