The Scientific Relationship between Stress and Weight Loss.

Several situations could result in stress in life, whether it is being worried about life or jumping from one job to another, situations of life can generate stress that will make one lose so much weight, but the question I was asking myself a few days ago is, what could be the relationship between stress and weight loss, why is it common for so many people to lose so much weight whenever they undergo stress.

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Stress can have a strong direct impact on people's weight, for some people, it is weight gain while for others it is weight loss. It can contribute to missed meals and poor choice of food. In most cases, the change is a temporary one, which will allow the weight to return to normalcy once the season of stress has passed.

When a person is stressed, it means there is a more intense engagement than the normal daily routine, which could worsen the body's internal reaction to stress. When you become stressed, the body gets into a ''fight or flight'' mode, another name for this mode is the "acute stress response", this mechanism tells the body of the strong need to respond to a perceived threat.

In response to the perceived threat, the body prepares itself through the release of hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. Adrenaline prepares the body for vigorous activities, but it can also minimize the desire to eat more food. Cortisol, on the other hand, signals the body to suppress the functions that are nonessential during a crisis temporarily, this includes responses from the immune, digestive, and reproductive systems.

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There are more reasons why one could experience weight loss beyond stress, but to know if your weight loss is connected to stress, associated symptoms include; tense muscles, fatigue, headaches, indigestion, difficulty falling asleep, decreased sexual urge, tense muscles, mood changes, aches and pain.

When the body gets into a "fight or flight response" as mentioned earlier, the body slows down digestion and focuses on stress, this will lead to gastrointestinal discomfort like; diarrhea, stomach pain, constipation, and heartburn. When stress becomes intense, the conditions are amplified, and the changes made to your digestive system could make you eat less and therefore trigger weight loss.

Due to how overwhelming the power of stress can get, you may even forget to eat altogether. The vagus nerve is also affected which affects how the body can absorb, digest, and metabolize food, this disruption in the processing of food, may create unwanted inflammation.

Typically dropping a pound or two may not necessarily mean there is something to worry about, but you need to see a doctor if there are cases of; chest pain, losing weight drastically without trying, severe headache, or using alcohol or drugs as a coping mechanism. These sets of meals are advised to be avoided until stress subsides; sugary drinks, processed foods, candy, chips, friend food, and baked goods.

Conclusion.

Stress, especially when it is chronic will cause either weight loss or weight gain as a result of its effect on bodily processes. With stress, the production of stress hormones and the GI system could result in changes in appetite and metabolism.

References.

https://www.healthline.com/health/stress/stress-weight-loss#takeaway

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/stress-weight-loss#summary

https://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/a36522295/can-stress-cause-weight-gain/

https://www.verywellmind.com/how-stress-can-cause-weight-gain-3145088

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Hi, I am Tobi a writer, speaker, relationship blogger, and lover of good music. I love making friends and learning from people. If you want to hear me speak on relationships and general life issues, you can find my YouTube channel where you can watch any episode for free, please do not forget to subscribe, friends. I sincerely appreciate every love I get from here, Kindly do well to keep them coming.