In a recent study conducted by the Ohio State University and published in the health journal Biological Psychiatry, stressful events may be largely to blame for weight gain among women. The study showed that experiencing one or more stressful events within 24 hours of eating a high-fat meal actually causes the body to metabolize the fatty food slower than usual; specifically, the data showed that women who weren’t stressed out burned an average 104 calories more than the participants who experienced something stressful on the previous day.
Phenomeona like “emotional eating” or “stress eating” have become serious (and unfortunately, quite common) problems for millions of Americans today, and it’s no secret that psychological stress often leads to increased food consumption or a tendency to consume high-fat foods rather than healthy foods — and this problem affects both men and women. But the new study on weight gain shows that psychological stressors don’t have to be directly connected to food consumption; in other words, women who refrain from emotional eating may still have trouble moderating their weight if they’re constantly stressed out, simply because it’s possible for the body’s metabolism to slow down — and stay slower than usual — even after the person is no longer experiencing high stress levels.
The importance of psychological approaches to obesity and weight gain problems has been discussed in previous research findings and expert articles, and this particular study simply supports these earlier findings. Nevertheless, this new data may be incredibly useful (and maybe even comforting) for women who are trying, in vain, to watch their weight. Rather than forcing oneself to eat ultra-healthy foods that cost a fortune (and don’t taste so great), regularly seeing someone who can moderate psychological problems may be able to help women maintain healthy weights, no matter how much stress they’re under.