AUTHOR
WILLIAM ANTOLASIC William Antolasic is a graduate dietitian who is passionate about all things gut health . He is dedicated to working with clients to achieve their health goals . Follow William on Instagram
@ willfornutrition or
connect with him on LinkedIn .
HOW CAN STRESS AFFECT NUTRITION AND BODY WEIGHT ?
We delve into the science behind stress eating with dietitian William Antolasic .
To say 2020 was stressful for us all is perhaps the understatement of the century . Our day-to-day schedules altered significantly , as did our socialising , sport and holiday plans . Combined with home-schooling children and working remotely , we were presented with a ‘ perfect storm ’ of stressors , which has taken its toll on many of us . One result of this stress – that many people have noticed – is altered eating habits and possible changes in body weight . Let ’ s take some time to explore the link between stress and weight and some steps we can take to get our health and nutrition back on track .
The science of stress
Over time , our bodies have evolved to deal with stress in a couple of different ways . One of them is by firing up our sympathetic nervous system ( otherwise known as the ‘ fight or flight ’ response ). This system involves hormones like adrenaline and cortisol , which increase our breathing , circulation and heart
rate , so that more glucose can be delivered to our muscles . This would be great if we really did need to run or fight for our lives , but in our modern-day environment , it can leave us with anxiety , irritability , a racing heart and a sense of feeling overwhelmed .
Some people will find that when they are stressed , the last thing they want to do is eat . But many of us will experience quite the opposite , and have an increased appetite and preoccupation with food during ( or directly after ) a stressful period or event .
Cortisol has a partial role to play here , as it can drive our bodies to convert glucose into ‘ storage ’ and lay down fat tissue . There is also a developing body of research investigating how the hormone ghrelin is affected by stress . Ghrelin is known as the ‘ hunger hormone ’ – due to its direct role in appetite regulation . Some studies have indicated that ghrelin levels rise with stress , which may contribute to overeating .
When we experience stress to any degree , we end up seeking ways to soothe ourselves . ‘ Stress eating ’ is a very normal form of self-soothing – but it may become problematic because of the types of food we select . Think along the lines of baked goods , chocolate , salty potato chips and sweets . These highly flavoured
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