New hypothesis seeks to explain how stress can cause obesity

A new hypothesis seeks to explain how stress causes weight gain.

Diet and lack of exercise do not sufficiently explain the obesity epidemic. Stress is one of many other factors which could contribute.

Eating more food high in fat, salt and sugar, combined with reduced physical activity, has been highlighted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as the key causes of obesity.

Doctors have therefore prescribed slimming and physical exercise. This is followed up by media and commercial industries which promote training, diet and lifestyle advice.

Cause or consequence?

Brynjar Foss and sports scientist Sindre M Dyrstad have focused on whether stress is the cause or consequence of weight gain.

The researchers review a number of studies, which show that weight gain and cortisol (the stress hormone) levels are noticeably higher in people who became fatter because of stress.

"If you have high cortisol, you seem to put on weight more easily," says Foss. He and Dyrstad suggest that stress and obesity reinforce each other through positive feedback.

Gaining weight can potentially trigger the stress response, which encourages additional weight gain.

Additionally, dieting can also stimulate cortisol production, which in turn may trigger the stress response and thereby counter the weight loss.

"Should our hypothesis turn out to be correct, it would mean that you'll have to break this stress pattern if you want to halt the weight increase," says Foss.

Article: http://www.news-medical.net/news/20120119/New-hypothesis-seeks-to-explain-how-stress-can-cause-obesity.aspx