Elka Pace looks into the link between chronic job stress, obesity and lack of sleep, which cause metabolic syndrome – a group of factors that, together, increase the risk of diseases.
In today’s world, we are inundated with excessive workloads, deadlines, long working hours and high demands.
If you are feeling drained, anxious and stressed out because of your busy working schedule, most probably you will end up skipping lunch and opt for unhealthy products from the vending machine for a quick snack
For many of us, stress is so commonplace that it has become a way of life.
But stress is not always bad; it can help us perform under pressure and motivate us to do our best. However, when we are constantly running in emergency mode, our mind and body pay the price.
Because so much of our lives are spent at work, job stress can create stress in other areas of life as well and we end up experiencing burnout or depression.
Job stress is also closely linked to chronic stress, and it can take a significant toll on overall health and wellness.
Studies have found a link between chronic job stress, obesity and lack of sleep, which cause metabolic syndrome – a group of factors that, together, increase the risk of diseases, including high blood pressure, insulin resistance due to elevated blood-sugar levels, decreased bone and muscle mass, a weakened immune system, central obesity (excessive abdominal fat, which has been linked to increased cortisol in the bloodstream), insomnia, as well as several other health problems.
What happens to our body when we are stressed?
When under stress, our body’s adrenal glands produce adrenaline and cortisol.
Cortisol is an important hormone, also known as ‘the stress hormone’. Whether we are stressed out because of deadlines at work, or because we are actually in danger, our bodies respond in the same way.
The release of cortisol is designed to be a short-term solution to fill an urgent need for energy.
Unfortunately, in our high-stress culture, the stress response is activated so often that the body does not always have a chance to return to normal. The release signal is stuck in the ‘on’ position.
How can stress cause weight gain?
Cortisol has a two-fold effect on fat. When we experience something stressful, our brains release cortisol, which puts the body on alert and gives it a burst of needed energy to help us get away from danger, sending it into fight or flight mode.
As the body gears up for a fight, the pupils dilate, our senses are heightened, heart rate is increased and our appetite is suppressed, while the digestive system shuts off temporarily.
Adrenaline and cortisol are released to help break down carbohydrate and fats for quick energy.
When the immediate stress is over, adrenaline levels drop, but the cortisol lingers to help bring the body back into balance.
One way it gets things back to normal is to increase appetite; the body assumes it has just physically exerted itself, for example, by running from a tiger, and needs to restock its reserves by eating a lot of carbohydrates or fatty food that can easily be stored as fat.
In reality, you are probably still sitting in your car, or at your desk, still fuming and still stressed out.
The second effect of cortisol comes into action when the body is constantly producing an abnormally high amount of cortisol over a long period of time due to continuously high stress levels. This leads to weight gain, as your appetite and insulin levels are continuously increased.
If stress is high, cortisol levels stay high and so will insulin levels. Since cortisol helps regulate blood sugar, the more cortisol is produced, the more glucose is produced.
Excess glucose is stored as fat. The overload of cortisol and stress makes you feel lethargic and tired, so you overeat to renew your energy.
If you are feeling drained, anxious and stressed out because of your busy working schedule, most probably, you will end up skipping lunch and opt for unhealthy products from the vending machine for a quick snack.
Dieting and going too long between meals also puts the body under stress by lowering blood sugar levels.
This, in turn, can lead to cortisol production, which, in turn, causes blood sugar levels to rise, which again will lead to weight gain. This means that dieting can lead to weight gain even though an entirely opposite effect is expected from it.
What is the other culprit?
If you are not sleeping properly, suffering from adrenal fatigue and low blood sugar levels, cortisol’s natural schedule is disrupted and your adrenal glands don’t get the chance to recover.
When your blood sugar is lower than normal during the night, you end up waking up so that you can refuel and replenish the sugar supply. Cortisol is a stimulant and it will keep you awake.
When you do manage to get some sleep, your cortisol resources upon waking are much less than they should be, and you remain tired throughout the day.
Chronic lack of sleep also lowers immunity, increasing susceptibility to infections and increased carbohydrate cravings.
Break the vicious cycle of stress-obesity-sleeplessness in order to lose weight.
It might sound like a cliché, but one of the best things to reduce stress, lose weight and get restful nights is, in fact, regular exercise.
There is more to fitness than well-toned muscles – it’s easy to overlook the interconnectedness between the body and the mind and how one affects the other.
So when you incorporate regular activity in your life, you’re moving closer to overall mind and body fitness. What is important is to find activities that are enjoyable and make you feel good.
Stock up on protein bars, nuts, seeds, protein shakes, yogurt and other healthy snacks; keep them handy to avoid having to rely on vending machines.
Keep hydrated; water and herbal drinks are ideal. Get away from your desk every hour, move around and stretch, releasing your tension from your muscles.
And finally, get a good night’s sleep: it is the golden chain that ties health and our bodies together.
Elka Pace is a Body Control qualified Pilates teacher at Bodyworks in St Julian’s.