We already know that too much stress is unhealthy. But now there’s growing evidence that tension also piles on the pounds

Feeling pressured, tense, or under the gun, most of us have at one dived into the nearest bag of sweets or bottle of wine, or – if things are really going bad – both. But, says Dr Pamela Peeke, assistant clinical professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and author of Fight Fat After Forty (Piatkus; £12.99), comfort eating during stressful moments – which tend to be many – is one of the main reasons our waistlines expand.

According to Professor Peeke, Whenever we’re angry, scared, anxious, or tense, the brain produces cortisol and adrenaline: hormones specifically designed to incite the fight-or-flight response that was once crucial to our survival. ‘Adrenaline’s main role is to make you alert and focused, with exceptional concentration and memory,’ says Peeke. She adds that cortisol also helps increase heart and respiratory rates and getting your muscles tensed and ready.

While those physiological processes worked well for our prehistoric ancestors, they’re not as useful in a world where physical dangers are few. The trouble is, whenever we’re stressed – when a colleague dumps a load of extra work on you, when the baby is screaming incessantly, when your partner forgets to run a vital errand – these hormones are released into your system. Though adrenaline levels plummet as the stress subsides, cortisol remains in the body much longer. Since, physiologically speaking, your body thinks you’ve run a mile or two or done something active in response to the ‘threat’, the hormone sends signals to refuel the body as soon as possible. It’s a biological green light to indulge in foods loaded with carbs and fat that leads to weight gain in the chronically stressed. It’s a vicious cycle of stress, followed by elevated cortisol, followed by that scone you don’t need.

What’s even more worrisome is the type of weight gain this cycle encourages. Cortisol, along with adrenaline, travels to the body’s fat cells, allowing them to open and release fat – what the body knows as fuel – into the bloodstream, to the liver and then to the muscles to use as energy. In an interesting twist, Peeke’s research has found that fat cells deep inside the belly are especially good at attracting cortisol. Simply put, the cascade of responses caused by stress encourages the accumulation of excess ‘stress fat’, the layer of fat below the abdominal muscle. ‘This creates “toxic weight” – or extra fat inside the abdomen – which is the only type of fat on the body associated with death,’ she says. She adds that this type of fat has been linked to heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, cancer and diabetes.

So how to break the vicious cycle of midlife weight gain and stress? Peeke suggests, among other things, a combination of healthy eating, regular exercise and stress management techniques.

Diet
One of the best ways to combat stress and anxiety is to eat foods that give you long-lasting energy, such as whole grains. Peeke advises avoiding foods that release sugar into the bloodstream too quickly, such as highly processed foods made with white, refined sugars and white starches – pasta, white rice, potatoes, and white bread. These increase the amount of insulin, another hormone that plays an important role in weight gain and appetite. In fact, Peeke calls elevated cortisol and elevated insulin levels a ‘lethal duo’ that creates an insatiable appetite for carbohydrates and fat.

This stress-busting sample menu will give you some tips:

Breakfast
Porridge with skimmed milk and chopped banana
Glass of cranberry juice
Wholemeal toast with low fat spread
Herbal tea

Mid-morning snack
Low fat yoghurt with muesli sprinkled over the top
Water with slice of lemon

Lunch
Leafy salad served with pumpernickel or multigrain bread
Orange
Herbal tea

Mid-afternoon snack
Pear and a couple of plums
Glass of juice

Early dinner
Baked cod with peppers and onion
Wild rice
Tomato, avocado and grapefruit salad with lime and oil dressing
Water with slice of lemon

Exercise
According to Peeke, the body assumes that you will follow elevated cortisol levels with physical activity. ‘But nowadays most of us don’t do anything physical – most of our stresses are intellectual,’ she says. You can beat stress and high cortisol with exercise, which raises levels of beta-endorphins, the feelgood hormones that counteract the negative effects of stress hormones. A moderate regime includes some physical activity 3–5 times a week for at least 20 minutes each time. Consult your GP or trainer before starting a new exercise routine.

Stress management techniques
Exercise is an excellent way to manage stress but you can also try taking some deep breaths when you feel stress coming on, or concentrating on something you enjoy, such as planning your holiday or spending time with your partner or family.

Peeke also suggests learning the fine art of regrouping: ‘If something gets thrown at you from left field, simply go from plan A to C if you have to.’ Similarly, learning to be stress-resilient, or bouncing with the unexpected rather than mulling it over endlessly in your mind, is key. Writing in a journal can be an especially effective way to keep stress in check, she says. And when there’s nothing else you can do in an anxiety-provoking situation, simply get up and move; it will help distract you.

Most of all, remember that stress is temporary. Keep in mind, too, that to a great extent genetics determine our predisposition to weight gain and body type, so do the best you can. After all, managing stress shouldn’t be just another source of stress in your life.