Ever felt the need to do something while you are waiting for your yearly review or the news of your raise? Most likely, you ended up going to the coffee vending machine or the snack stall for a quick bite. If you did, it's not your fault. Blame it on stress.
New research indicates that stress can trigger a strong urge to eat.
Surprised? Don't be.
For a long time, it was believed that insomnia, anxiety and loss of appetite were the symptoms of stress. But, new studies have found that excessive sleep and eating is also a way of coping with stress. In the long term, stress can lead to eating disorders.
Research shows that people crave sinfully rich food when they are under stress not only because these foods taste great but because the body is wired to find a way out of the pain of unrelenting stress. When the body is under stress, it produces a hormone called Cortisol. This allows faster responses and maintains alertness in the face of danger. Once the danger has passed, the production of Cortisol stops automatically.
But, when you are under stress for long periods of time, Cortisol is being continually produced. As you feel the unrelenting grip of anxiety over you, the body's natural response system starts searching for food as it offers small bursts of energy. This is the body's way of telling the brain to go easy. So, sugar candy, cream puffs and chocolate become the comfort foods of choice. Interestingly though, continual stress does not allow the brain to relax and victims continue the cycle of eating injudiciously.
However, these excess calories find their way straight to the abdomen where they get converted into excess fat. So, stress related eating has a damaging effect on health. It leads to weight problems (and associated health issues) and eating disorders like uncontrolled binging, nighttime eating and bulimia.
Stress related eating disorders are a common phenomenon these days. Which is the reason why we need to learn to cope with stress in a more constructive manner than eating our way through muffins, chocolates, cream puffs, burgers, fries or ice creams.
Autor: John Davenport
To discover the #1 Secret to stop stress eating visit: Overcome stress Eating
To get the 1 crucial tip to overcome emotional eating visit Stop Emotional Eating
John Davenport lost over 30 pounds in his twenties after being overweight most of his life. He now runs a weight loss forum and publishes a diet and fitness newsletter.
Added: December 2, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/
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