Waynesville Mail

Worst Way Stress Affects Your Health

There's no denying that 2020 has made us face some overwhelming challenges—and it's making us stressed out. According to a September report, The State Of Mental Health In America, the number of people looking for help with anxiety and depression has skyrocketed. Out of those who took the anxiety screen, over 8 in 10 people scored with moderate to severe symptoms of anxiety.

When you're feeling heightened levels of stress, your body responds by releasing the stress hormones cortisol, adrenaline, and norepinephrine into your bloodstream. Your heart starts racing, pumping more blood, and your metabolism actually kicks into high gear. This is all very normal if it occurs sporadically. When you are suffering from chronic stress things start going terribly wrong with your body and studies show chronic stress is a big factor in heart disease, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, and depression.

Ultimately, they discovered a direct correlation between chronic stress and all three obesity-related factors. "People tend to report overeating and 'comfort eating' foods high in fat, sugar, and calories in times of stress," the report stated. "Chronic stress can lead to dietary over-consumption, increased visceral adiposity, and weight gain." According to the study, "Higher cortisol fosters increased intake of calorie-dense comfort foods, and insulin secretion rises as cortisol increases."

With the right tools, and guidance from your doctor, counselor or therapist, you'll find yourself walking through the world happier and healthier. At the end of the day, managing your stress levels is one of the surest keys for supporting a healthy body and keeping your metabolism operating at its prime.