The 2016 Ministry of Health and Welfare also shows that the percentage of obese men (BMI value 25 or higher) among Japanese men is 30% on average for all generations, especially about 35% in their 40s and 60s. .. It means that one in three uncles are middle-aged and fat.

It is often said that being fat is due to the person’s poor management ability. But the problem is not that simple. Recent studies have shown that stress plays a major role in the behavior that accelerates middle-aged fatness, that is, when eating too much B-grade gourmet or falling into an irregular life. I am.

Are you getting fat as you get older?
Are you repeating diet → rebound?

The cause may be stress. In this article, I’ll tell you the truth about how stress-induced hormonal imbalances can make you fat.

“Stress hormone” that saves organisms from crisis

A hormone called “cortisol” is indispensable when talking about the effects of stress on the body and mind. Cortisol, also known as a “stress hormone,” is an essential substance for survival in nature.

Animals, including humans, activate the “fight-or-flight mode” in response to imminent fear. At this time, adrenaline and “cortisol” are secreted so that the body can exert its full power in “fight” or “escape”.

Function of cortisol (part)

・ Increase metabolism to release energy such as fat and glycogen
・ Send glucose taken from carbohydrates to muscles through
blood
・Vasoconstriction other than muscles・ Inhibition / stop of digestive function

When an enemy appears, whether you run away or fight, you cannot live in nature unless you do your best. Therefore, cortisol switches the body’s work to muscle priority mode so that it can survive the crisis with the best performance.

Now that the dangers of nature are far away, why is this hormone a problem in this article? This is because cortisol is secreted not only by the fear of physical danger but also by mental stress.

Moreover, it can be said that modern humans, who can be exposed to mental stress 24 hours a day, are in a much more troublesome environment than animals in nature.

People who are stressed, whether at work or in private, always have high levels of cortisol. Anyone can imagine how cortisol works above, which seems to be bad for the body.

Now that the introduction has become long, let’s find out why stress hormones work and why you get fat and why you can’t lose weight if you are exposed to stress.

The Truth About Stress 1: Preventing a Good Sleep

The level of cortisol is high, which is the state where the alarm is ringing in the body. You will be prepared for battle so that you can react appropriately in a dangerous environment. There is no reason to sleep soundly in such a state.

In a healthy state, cortisol is most secreted in the morning and gradually declines into the night. It is normal for cortisol to be at its lowest levels by the time you sleep. However, if the stress level rises for some reason during the day, the night will come before it falls to a low enough level for a good night’s sleep.

As a result, even though my body is fluffy, my mood is so excited that I can’t easily fall asleep, and even if I think I’ve fallen asleep, I sometimes get up many times, resulting in sleep disorders.

When you lack sleep, the secretion of the hormone “ghrelin” that stimulates the appetite center increases, and the secretion of the hormone “leptin” that stimulates the satiety center decreases. It’s self-evident what happens when your appetite increases and at the same time it becomes difficult to feel full.

The truth of stress 2: Incites sickness and discoloration

First of all, it is very difficult to improve your eating habits and develop exercise habits as long as you are swayed by your daily schedule such as work and socializing. Even if you try to change your lifestyle, in a stressful environment, you tend to spoil yourself with a B-class life that you have been familiar with for a long time.

Studies have also shown that people with consistently high levels of cortisol tend to consume more calories than people with low levels of cortisol. Everyone will remember the experience of being stressed and reaching for foods high in sugar and flour.

One of the causes is that when the secretion of cortisol increases, the secretion of the substance “serotonin” in the brain, which is called a happiness hormone, decreases. The reason is to fill the gap in the heart that results from the lack of happiness hormone with sugar and carbohydrates.

The truth of stress 3: Inhibits digestion and absorption

Stress is bad for the gastrointestinal tract. That’s what everyone knows nowadays.

Constipation and diarrhea classified as irritable bowel syndrome, reflux gastritis, and food intolerance that causes symptoms such as tingling, tension, and pain when eating certain foods, etc. Are you bothered by?

As these symptoms progress, inflammation in the intestines becomes severe, and bacteria and viruses that should be eliminated in the intestines may become “leaky gut” (leaky gut) that exudes into the blood. When this happens, bacteria and viruses are carried through the blood vessels into the body, causing inflammation at the destination, causing wrinkles and damage to the body. It also causes the body to age faster.

Do you think, “That’s certainly scary, but it has nothing to do with getting fat?” Do you feel like you’re going to lose weight if you have a bad gastrointestinal tract? Unfortunately, this is not always the case. On the contrary, it can be fat. The human body is not that simple.

First, digestive problems make it difficult to incorporate fiber-rich natural foods into your diet. Vegetables, mushrooms, and whole grains such as brown rice are indispensable foods for dieting.

Further malabsorption leads to increased appetite due to the brain’s efforts to obtain the missing nutrients.

In addition, cortisol has been shown to interfere with the signals emitted by leptin, which stimulates the satiety center, making it difficult to control appetite when overstressed.

In addition, the secretion of the hormone “ghrelin” that stimulates the appetite center increases when stress is applied, regardless of whether it is temporary or constant.

At this point, I even think that I am struck by the depth of the effects of stress on the human body. The stressed body is as good as being trapped in layers that can no longer be escaped.

The truth of stress 4: Make a body that cannot exercise

I’m a little overweight and I’m worried about lifestyle-related diseases. Even an amateur can think of doing a light exercise, but stress is again waiting for you to prevent your positive feelings.

I have already mentioned that the body becomes inflamed when living a stressful life on a daily basis, but this also leads to a decrease in immunity. As a result, the following problems will appear.

・ Lack of stamina
・ I can’t get rid of tiredness ・ I tend to get
sick
・ Joint pain and muscle stiffness

With this, fitness is not very much started.

“Ah, I’m getting tired recently, and my shoulders are always stiff … Is it a year?”

Maybe so. However, it is certain that the fact that he has spent his life not only because he is old but also because he has been lenient about the effects of stress has spurred his current illness.

If you don’t like to stay fat, it is essential to review the stress factors and make efforts to bring them into a condition where you can acquire exercise habits. You don’t have to think “because it’s a year” or “I’m not good”.

The truth of stress 5: I want to do my best Pull your legs

Have you ever had such an experience, such as being uncomfortable with your thoughts, not being able to understand people’s stories properly, or not being able to understand what is written in the documents?

As already explained, the stress hormone cortisol has the function of encouraging the body to work with priority given to muscles.

The role of cortisol: Glucose taken from carbohydrates is flushed into the blood and sent to the muscles

High stress → Glucose is preferentially sent to muscles → Not enough energy is distributed to the brain

Continued exposure to stress not only makes your work less efficient, but also makes you more emotional and less motivated to work on things.

In addition, a number of recent studies have shown that the parts of the brain that control memory are damaged, impeding the retention of new memory.

Under these conditions, it is almost impossible to develop new healthy habits. In order to improve your diet, practice an active lifestyle, and escape middle-aged fatness, you may need to eliminate stress as much as possible.

According to a survey in the United States, 75-90% of doctors are due to stress-induced symptoms, both directly and indirectly. You can see how stressful modern people are.

The uncles of the hard-working generation, who have continued to fight the pressure of work, may have overcome the stress with energy. You may have believed that ignoring is a mental strength.

However, the stress that I thought I had overcome is definitely fattening you now. If you want to be a healthy and slim uncle even as you get older, and above all, to prevent lifestyle-related diseases, I would like to acknowledge the existence of stress and resolve it well, and ask for “adult response”.