Alex: I’ve heard Paul that there is growing evidence that stress is a major cause of obesity and so not only hinders weight loss but is actually a serious threat to our long term health. Why is this?
Paul: It’s all to do with certain chemicals in our brains, called neurotransmitters, which get released when we are under stress, the two main culprits being cortisol and dynorphin.
Alex: Tell me about cortisol.
Paul: I think most people know that when we are under stress, our body releases adrenaline into our system, which gives us a sudden rush of energy. Our heart rate increases and our whole body is put on red alert – which is why it is often called the “fight or flight” hormone, its basically preparing our body to meet danger by confronting it or fleeing from it asap! This mechanism was really useful in the days when we were hunter gatherers and, to some extent, obviously still is.
Alex: So where does cortisol come in then?
Paul: Well when stress causes adrenaline to be secreted into the bloodstream, along with it comes cortisol, a hormone which has several functions, one of which is to enable the body to store fat. This is nature’s way of ensuring that we will have enough energy readily available for the next emergency.
Alex: Well if that’s the case why aren’t we all overweight?
Paul: Because under normal and natural circumstances the stress response mechanism is supposed to be a three-phase cycle. Phase one the release of adrenaline to pump us up, stage two the release of cortisol which helps us think fast and also as previously mentioned directs our body to store fat. Finally there is phase three, the recovery stage where the stress hormones leave our body and we get back to normal.
Alex: So are you implying that under abnormal circumstances this three-phase cycle is interrupted?
Paul: Indeed yes, in our modern stress-ridden lives, it’s often the case that many people never move onto phase 3. Instead, they move from one stressful situation to another, and their cortisol levels remain continuously high. For many people also, this way of operating becomes the norm, and so even though they may not believe their lives are anymore stressful than others, in fact, they are suffering from chronic stress levels which they maybe unconscious of.
Alex: And its not just busy executives who can suffer from chronic stress is it? Being a parent can be very demanding, especially looking after small children.
Paul: Yes, and there are women – superwomen if you like – who do both, go out and do a highly demanding job and take care of the family before and after!! No wonder they come to us complaining that no matter what they do they can’t seem to shake the weight – it’s because their cortisol levels are at a constant high and instructing their bodies to put on fat no matter how little they eat.
Alex: Before we look at what can be done to help, what about the other hormone you mentioned, dynorphin?
Paul: Well if it wasn’t bad enough for the stressed out weight watcher that their cortisol levels are telling their body to lay down fat, there’s another stress hormone called dynorphin, which is also an appetite stimulant. A number of studies in rats have shown that increasing dynorphin levels stimulates eating.
Alex: I think most of us feel ravenously hungry after a stressful episode, and that’s also probably part of the reason why people stress eat.
Paul: Exactly. And so what happens to the person who is in a constant state of chronic stress, which many people are, is that their high levels of dynorphin will be continuously stimulating their appetite. And even if they manage to resist the food cravings and hunger pangs and eat sensibly, their high cortisol levels will still be causing their bodies to store fat. The end result is they either put on weight or find it impossible to lose it.
Alex: Wow, its no wonder they’re saying there is an obesity epidemic in the Western world, considering the amounts of stress we all routinely deal with. So I guess the answer to all this is to learn to relax more.
Paul: It sounds straightforward, but yes in a nutshell that’s what must happen for the stress response mechanisms to return to normal and those hormone levels to come down.
Alex: So to lose weight, a lot of people need to slow down a lot, which seems like the opposite of what most people think they need to do.
Paul: Yes, there is this idea that the way to lose weight is to speed up the metabolism and burn more energy. But it’s much more complex than that. Obviously people need to exercise more to burn off excess fat. However they also need to learn to relax more in-between, so that they’re not putting the weight straight back on.
Alex: But a lot of people would say they do relax a lot, by watching tv, enjoying a glass of wine in the evening etc
Paul: Well in actual fact watching tv is not always that relaxing, it depends on what you watch. Many people are only half-watching a programme and at the same time still turning things over in their mind or worrying about tomorrow’s deadlines. As for that relaxing glass of wine, well its known that all alcoholic drinks stimulate the release of cortisol – the fat producing hormone - no wonder they call them beer bellies!
Alex: So what’s the answer then?
Paul: People who are chronically stressed and who need to lose weight have to learn to consciously have periods of relaxation throughout the day. Now these can be micro sessions of deep breathing for a few seconds or they can be 10 or 20 minutes of visualisation or relaxation techniques at the beginning and end of the day. The bottom line is they need to learn how to switch off and just relax, completely. Of course in hypnopuncture we can teach people how to do that, and we can also re-educate their mind and body to switch off the stress responses periodically so that the body’s systems can return to normal.
Alex: Sounds like good advice, it’s a pity more people are not aware of this.
