We were already fairly certain that stress can lead to unhealthy weight gain. Whether it was because of anxious over-eating or a combination of other factors wasn't quite as clear though — until now.
Scientists at Georgetown university have officially confirmed that there are indeed specific chemical triggers that cause our bodies to store more fat. Bear in mind, the studies were conducted on mice, but what studies aren't, right?
The researchers placed the mice in a cage with an aggressive alpha mouse and fed them a high-sugar, high-fat diet. This was their way of mimicking a common human combination: stressful life paired with an unhealthy, fast food sponsored diet. Flattering, huh?
They found high levels of a chemical messenger called neuropeptide Y, or NPY, in the stressed-out mice. Now, ready for the exciting breakthrough part?
Injecting the now fat and high-strung mice with a substance that blocked the release of NPY led to nearly 50% less fat deposits in only 2 weeks! Even more amazing, during those 2 weeks, the mice continued being fed high-fat, high-sugar diets in their "Stress Cages" while their fat deposits continued to shrink — no matter how much they ate!
"It just melts the fat. It's incredible," said one of the researchers. She says it could offer an alternative to liposuction someday. However, "someday" is far off, because human trials won't start for years.
So, what can you do in the meantime while you wait for your magic syringe? Well, stress is what causes the fat-storing NPY chemical to be released in the first place. So, instead of an injection to block its production, you can practice other methods to lower your stress levels, thus lowering your NPY levels.
Here are two great and concise articles that will help you do just that:
Fish Oil? Huh? Fish…Oil…? – As if fish oil didn't already have enough benefits, here's yet another one: When Swiss researchers fortified men’s diets with omega-3 fatty acids (those found in fish oil), their levels of cortisol (the body's stress hormone) remained unchanged during stress tests, while the placebo group’s cortisol rose by over 30 percent!
5 Simple and Effective Steps to Relax Your Body and Calm Your Nerves – As the name of the article implies, these are 5 easy steps to instantly lower your stress levels, even if you only have a few minutes to spare. Get the same calming benefits, without the candles and hours spent with your legs crossed.
2,684 views
{ 6 trackbacks }
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Stress is a huge factor in overweight, especially if you are an emotional eater. If you are stressed and you have the habit of abusing food through emotional eating, you will (out of habit) turn to food in an attempt to calm your emotions. Most of the time emotional eaters aren't even hungry….I have the experience in this (unfortunately!). ;)
Thanks for the information on the study; I would prefer to take the route of healing the reasons for emotional eating due to stress instead of taking the injection though, if they do offer it (an injection) in the future. :)
Glad you enjoyed the article JoLynn, and yes, the best way to solve any health issue is through regular exercise and a healthy diet, but , unfortunately, some people will always be looking for the proverbial "magic pill".