The BeWell Tanger Center for Health Management, BIDMC's onsite wellness and exercise resource center, answers your questions in this ongoing column in BIDMCtoday.
BeWell will offer a FREE 2-week pass to any BIDMC staff member whose question is published in this column -- so e-mail your health- or fitness- related question today to the BeWell staff at mdacost2@bidmc.harvard.edu.
Q. Can stress prevent you from losing weight?
A. Stress has many effects on the body. Our ability to deal with our day-to-day stress-filled lives can impact how our body uses and stores nutrients from food.There could be a couple of different things going on. First, we are biologically able to deal with stress through the "fight or flight" response. When "fight or flight" kicks in, levels of certain hormones rise and allow us to either deal with the stress or prompt us to get away from the stressful situation. We are also hard-wired to also have a relaxation response, which brings us down from "fight or flight" and allows the level of hormones to go back to normal.
If you are experiencing chronic stress (constant pressure that does not fluctuate, or come and go), then it's possible the level of hormones you have floating around is constantly high, which could contribute to holding onto body fat, especially around the stomach area.
In addition, some individuals deal with stress or pain by overeating. Making healthy choices when you're under pressure or experiencing discomfort isn't always easy. Often, people choose high fat, high calorie foods because they are quick, taste good, and are filling and close at hand.
You should speak with your primary care physician about your question. He/she can share ideas with you on how to deal with stress (some ideas include relaxation techniques, visualization, meditation, and making lifestyle changes like getting more exercise and changing eating habits). Your doctor may also suggest medical areas to look at that may impact your ability to reach your weight management goals.