Stress and Belly Fat: The Vicious Cycle of Stress, Excess Abdominal Fat and Why It’s So Hard to Lose It
Too much fat anywhere is not a good thing, but there are several reasons why too much belly fat is especially bad: It’s the most likely to cause health problems, it makes it difficult to find clothes that fit, which causes challenges with projecting a professional image as well as self-esteem, and it also makes strangers draw inappropriate conclusions. Moreover, since it is often stress that either caused or continues to increase this particular pattern of fat distribution, the resulting stress from the consequences may well make the problem even worse.
1. Health Problems:
By now, most people know that too much fat upfront and center causes major health problems. We have read for years now that apples are bad - i.e., bodies shaped like apples, with most of the excess fat stored right in the stomach. Why? Apple shaped people have a much higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, and related ailments. In fact, there’s now a name for the body shape and its associated conditions: Syndrome X. And syndrome X is bad news indeed.
2. Professional Image:
The clothing industry has yet to catch up to the realities of body fat distribution among an ever increasing number of women. Most clothes that allow for a less than slender waistline are specifically made for pregnant women, and these days, many of them are designed to show off that pregnant belly rather than to camouflage and minimize it. This may work nicely for women who are in fact pregnant, but it makes things worse for those who aren’t.
So it can be quite challenging to find flattering clothes, short of having them custom made. Some companies are beginning to see the potential in offering flexible waistbands, but far too often, clothes, even in stores specializing in plus-sized women, are designed for pear-shaped women. Women with apple shapes have a much more difficult time finding attractive, well-fitting, and professional-looking clothes.
3. Problematic And Embarrassing Assumptions:
Big bellies in men, sometimes referred to as beer bellies, can cause people to think that the bearer might have issues with excessive drinking, certainly a problematic assumption with potentially detrimental consequences for a man’s career.
Women with excess fat in that area on the other hand are assumed to be pregnant, which theoretically has the benefit of being offered seats in crowded subway trains and such, but more likely causes strangers to feel at liberty to ask about due dates or even reach out and touch a woman’s belly. While this sort of thing is an inappropriate violation of personal boundaries, it is also extremely humiliating to non-pregnant recipients, to say the least.
4. The Vicious Cycle:
All three of the above consequences of excess belly fat have yet another unfortunate consequence resulting from the previous three: They cause even more stress, and since stress may well have been responsible for the excess abdominal fat in the first place, and since it makes the body accumulate even more fat right where it’s least wanted and prevents the fat that’s already there from being burned off, the stress resulting from too much belly fat can easily result in more of the same and makes it even more difficult for affected people to lose weight and improve the situation. Thus, the vicious cycle continues and feeds on itself.
And if you recognize yourself or someone you care about in this article, you are invited to get your FREE ebook with seven stress-reducing strategies.
If you want Elisabeth Kuhn’s full-sized version instead, with lots more strategies, you can get it at InstantStressReliefStrategies.com
Popularity: unranked [?]
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
Deadly Stress - Seven Ways in Which Too Much Unrelenting Stress Can Kill You
Maybe this sounds a little overdramatic, but unfortunately the reality is that excessive, untreated stress can actually kill you. When you’re stressed, your body produces the hormone cortisol, which is designed to get your rear in gear as part of the fight-or-flight mechanism. However, this hormone is meant to be released only occasionally in small doses – when stress causes it to be secreted for long periods of time, the body reacts with a variety of different health consequences.
The following are seven of the major health effects caused by stress. If you’re experiencing any of these conditions and believe they may be linked to stress, seek medical counseling as soon as possible:
1. Diabetes
Diabetes occurs when the body produces too little insulin to process all the sugars in your body. As these sugars build up, you may experience a number of health problems including thirst, headaches and weight loss. Over time, the condition can cause complications ranging from heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, eye damage, nerve damage, diabetic neuropathy, skin conditions, and gastrointestinal problems.
2. High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is often referred to as a “silent killer” because there are few actual symptoms that present with the disease. High levels of stress can bring on this condition, which can result in an aneurysm, coronary heart disease, enlarged heart, damage to the brain and even heart attack. If that isn’t a good enough reason to learn to manage your stress – I don’t know what is!
3. Weight Gain
People under high levels of stress often experience fluctuations in weight – as anyone who’s ever taken comfort in candy bars knows all to well. However, if your weight gain gets out of control, you could be putting yourself at risk for developing cancer, heart problems, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, sleep apnea, liver disease and gallbladder disease. If you notice that you’ve put on a few pounds, try hitting the gym – exercise is also a natural stress reliever.
4. Susceptibility to Disease
Your body can only do so much – when you’re under constant pressure, its resources are being diverted to help respond to stress. This leaves the immune system compromised and susceptible to infection by viruses and bacteria. If you’ve ever noticed yourself coming down with a bug when you’re at your most stressed, it isn’t just a coincidence – it’s your body letting you know that you’re under too much stress to handle safely.
5. Depression
Constant stress can make you feel like there’s no way out of your predicament, which can eventually lead to feelings of hopelessness and depression. Depression is a serious disease – it’s nothing to take lightly. If you find yourself feeling trapped by feelings of despair and despondency, seek professional help immediately.
6. Heart Disease
Type A people beware – stress can and does cause heart disease and heart attacks. Stress contributes to the buildup of plaque in the arteries. As the arteries narrow, the heart has to push the blood even harder to distribute it throughout the body. Over time, this extra stress on the heart can have devastating effects.
7. Cancer
While there’s no proven link between stress and cancer, it’s widely accepted that excessive stress is a risk factor for developing a type of this deadly disease. Overall, stress weakens the immune system which may allow cancerous tissues to develop and flourish. If you feel that excessive negative stress is causing your immune system to break down, seek help to learn effective stress management techniques that allow you to cope properly.
And if you recognize yourself or someone you care about in this article, you are invited to get Elisabeth Kuhn’s FREE report with seven stress-reducing strategies. If you want Elisabeth’s full-sized version instead, with lots more strategies (including an introduction to EFT or Emotional Freedom Technique), here’s instant stress relief.
Popularity: unranked [?]
