With recent polling showing that 2,000 Americans over 30 have gained 17 pounds in the last year because of stress, doctors are looking at how education around dealing with stress could help some slim up their waists once again.
KNX’s Afternoon News spoke with Dr. Nik Kapoor, a cardiologist with Dignity Health Saint Mary Medical Center in Long Beach, about the recent trend and what can be done to stop it.
When it comes to fighting stress in our lives, Kapoor says that everything plays a role in how stressed we are, from how much we laugh and spend time with friends to the foods we eat. Kapoor says examining it all can help when managing stress.
“Eat healthy, eat more plant-based, avoid unhealthy activities, smoking or alcohol. If you drink too much caffeine, cut back on that,” Kapoor shared. “Medication can help. Laugh more and connect with others. You could try something like yoga.”
But, if you’ve made the rounds and nothing is helping, Kapoor says that seeking professional help or counseling would be the next step.
When it comes to the connection between stress and weight gain, Kapoor says it all has to do with cortisol.
“In general, stress is detrimental, we know,” Kapoor said. “What stress does, is it leads to an increase in cortisol, which is a stress hormone, and cortisol is associated with an increased intake of foods, and there is evidence our bodies metabolize foods more slowly when they’re under stress.
“I think just the stress itself leads to higher cortisol, and that leads to an increase in weight gain. It also leads to an increase in belly fat, which has a direct relationship with heart disease and type 2 diabetes.”
Because of the health risks that too much stress can bring, Kapoor says that reducing stress should be a priority for everyone.
Above all else, the number one suggestion that Kapoor has for those fighting stress is to get active.
“The one thing I would suggest people do is get more active. Try to get 7,500 hundred steps. Start slow and build it up,” Kapoor shared. “But being more active, going outside in nature, I think that’s the one change I would suggest for most everybody.”
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