The Stress-Fat Connection: The Thick and Thin of Your Figure

By: Barry Bittman M.D.

If you've ever found yourself nervously munching away on a snack while anticipating a stressful event, what you're about to learn could make a great difference in your future and your waistline.

A fascinating research study recently performed at Yale University is helping us to understand the important relationship between stress and fat. In the September/October 2000 edition of the Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine, researcher, Elissa Epel, PhD and colleagues reported a unique relationship between what is termed "central fat" and responsiveness to life stress.

Central fat, (you know the stuff) located primarily around our mid-sections, is considered unhealthy as it appears to be commonly associated with heart disease and diabetes. Particularly sensitive to cortisol, a circulating hormone typically released as part of the biological stress response, central fat literally increases with perceived distress.

Let's take a few moments to review the typical biological stress response that may actually be adding inches to our waists. First it's important to recognize that anything serving to disrupt or challenge our inner sense of balance is recognized as stressful.

With this in mind, it's obvious that stress varies considerably from person to person. In fact, what stresses one person may bring comfort to another. As an example, consider an incredible 12 inch high ice cream sundae smothered in chocolate and caramel, covered with nuts and overflowing with whipped cream and a cherry on top. For some of us, it's a welcome delight, while for others, it's a major threat in the battle of the bulge.

With this example in mind, (my mouth is watering yet my belt is snug) assume for a moment your stress response is already set in motion. Chemical messengers from key areas of your brain are sending distress signals to your adrenal glands (pyramid shaped structures above the kidneys) to release cortisol, a well-known and studied stress hormone. As a result, cortisol actually triggers a fat build-up particularly around your waist. Are you loosening your belt yet? ... only kidding!

Getting back to the research, 59 women were included in the study. Half had a high waist to hip ratio (WHR). A high WHR basically signifies increased fat storage at the waist.

The normal WHR for women is less than 0.8

The normal WHR for men it is less than 1.0

(please note: according to the American Heart Association, a high-risk waistline is defined as more than 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men)

In practical terms, a woman with equal waist and hip measurements of 34 inches would have a 1:1 ratio, signifying a high WHR. Women with high WHRs are often referred to as "apple" shaped, as opposed to women with low WHRs who are referred to as "pear shaped." Please note that a high WHR does not equate with obesity. A thin person can also have high WHR.

All participants in the study were given puzzles and speech tasks designed to evoke stress. As a result, women with high WHRs (both in the overweight and lean groups) secreted more cortisol in response to stress than women with low WHRs. The high WHR group was typically more threatened by the stressful activity, performed relatively poorly on the stress tests, and reported higher levels of daily stress than their low WHR counterparts.

Author's bio: Barry Bittman, MD is a neurologist, author, international speaker, award-winning producer/director and inventor. As CEO and Medical Director of the Mind-Body Wellness Center.

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