Double fat by stress plus fast food

Pakistan (Positive Health Center.) - Most people are under stress. Not only because the psychological pressure stokes the appetite, especially on fat and sweet - have they also burned fewer calories than usual. "Some research shows that we tend to eat the wrong things when we're stressed," says study leader Janice Kiecolt-Glaser of Ohio State University. Chocolate, pizza and other high-calorie meals are top of the list of favorite delicacies. Now the researchers were able to prove that the fattening people are particularly susceptible to stress.

Double fat by stress plus fast food

Greasy breakfast

For the investigation, the psychologists served 58 women on two days each a sumptuous breakfast that contained 60 grams of fat and a total of 980 kilocalories. This already corresponds to about half the daily energy requirement. At the same time, the researchers questioned their subjects about personal stress experienced in the previous 24 hours. This could be just as stressful in the job as a private problem. Finally, women responded to questionnaires on depressive symptoms in the past and described their physical activity the day before.

After the meal, the scientists determined the metabolic rate of the women every 20 minutes for seven hours. "By measuring the gas exchange, we can determine how much energy the body is currently using," explains Prof. Martha Belury, who also contributed to the study. Further information showed the blood sugar, blood lipid and insulin levels of the subjects as well as the levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the blood.

Slowed metabolism

Thirty-one of the participants reported that they had been stressed in one day, 21 even at both. Typical triggers were arguments with colleagues or the partner, anger with the children or greater stress in the job.

Women who said they had had at least one stress experience the previous day had less metabolic activity and therefore consumed fewer calories: an average of 104 kilocalories a day less. This corresponds approximately to the energy content of one and a half apples. "It might not be a big deal on a single day, but adding up to eleven pounds over the year can add extra body weight," says study leader Kiecolt-Glaser. In addition, the insulin levels of stressed women were increased, which additionally favors the incorporation of fat into the tissue.

The basic mood also influenced the outcome: in women who had already suffered from depression in their history, the stress braked the metabolism most.