(Harvard health) -- How much and when you eat isn't driven just by hunger, which you likely already know if you've ever found yourself hunched over a bowl of ice cream after having a particularly stressful day.
Stress can set off a cascade of physical reactions in your body that may not only drive you to eat more and make you crave less nutritious, fattening comfort foods, but also help you pack on extra pounds much more easily.
"Stress drives up levels of a hormone called cortisol in the blood," says Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School. Cortisol is a hormone produced by the adrenal gland that helps to regulate your metabolism. It also plays a role in blood sugar management and memory. When levels of cortisol rise, it can promote inflammation and may spur the body to start stockpiling fat around the midsection. "Stress might also disrupt sleep and drive people to seek out food when they wouldn't normally — such as in the middle of the night," says Dr. Stanford.
In earlier times this biological reaction to stress may have been beneficial, helping the body store up fuel for tough times ahead. But today, there's typically no famine to outlast, no bear to outrun. Consequently, stress may just lead to unhealthy weight gain.
Women under pressure
There is some evidence that women are disproportionately affected by stress. A 2012 survey by the American Psychological Association found that women reported higher stress levels than men.
And a higher percentage of women, 23%, reported experiencing extreme stress, compared with 16% of men who said the same. In addition, women were more likely to say that their stress levels were increasing (43%, versus 33% for men). For many of these women, it's this persistent stress that leads to weight gain.
Chronic versus acute stress
Stress itself can be either short-term (acute) or long-term (chronic). Acute stress is the kind you might experience if you're in a car accident. Chronic stress might come from spending years toiling in a high-stress workplace or caring for a family member with a long-term illness.
However, while stress is an inevitable part of life, the weight gain that can accompany it isn't. Changing your response to stress and adopting strategies to reduce it can keep the numbers on your scale from moving in the wrong direction, says Dr. Stanford.
Here are some of those strategies:
Burn off tension. Exercise is a crucial component of stress management because physical activity can actually reduce cortisol levels. But you will find excuses to avoid workouts if you dread them. Finding an activity you love — your "soulmate workout," as Dr. Stanford calls it — can help you maintain the regular physical activity you need in order to dissolve daily stress.
For some people, it might be yoga, for others, high-intensity exercise — or a combination of the two.
Prioritize sleep. A lack of sleep can increase the amount of stress hormones circulating in your body, so ensuring you get enough restful slumber is crucial to managing stress effectively. "Avoid screen time at least an hour prior to bedtime," says Dr. Stanford. This includes your smartphone. The blue light emitted by smartphones can interfere with sleep.
Change your outlook. The amount of stress someone experiences is based not only on circumstances, but also on the perception of those circumstances. Two people may do the same job, yet only one perceives it as stressful. In addition, individuals vary in their ability to manage stress, based on personality or early life experiences. Working to change the way you think about challenges can consequently help to reduce stress.
Plan ahead. If you are going into a high-stress period, prepare by setting up supports. "One woman I worked with gained weight at the same time each year around the anniversary of her child's death," says Dr. Stanford. If you're getting ready for a stressful event or facing a work deadline, seek out additional support to help you through. This might include adjusting your schedule to add extra exercise, or making a healthy eating plan to help you resist the impulse to snack on unhealthy food.
Talk to your doctor. If you're having problems coping with stress or controlling emotional eating, talk to your primary care physician. He or she may be able to refer you to a health coach, support services, or an obesity specialist. Medication might help some women, but they must be taken long term or you may regain the weight.
