Obesity and Stress
Obesity and stress are closely linked.
Think of short term stress as the “flight or fight” response to an acutely stressful situation. This response is mediated by adrenal sympathomimetic activity. It may improve cognition, physiologic function, tolerance to pain, and immune function. If you are being chased in the woods by a bear, you are all system go - and that’s a good thing.
On the other hand, chronic “submit and stay” stress may increase hypothalamic corticotropic activity. This worsens sleep patterns. Longer term hypothalamic stress responses may increase food cravings, increase blood pressure, worsen glucose metabolism, promote pain intolerance, and dysregulate immune responses. If you are all systems go all the time and there is no bear chasing you - that’s not a good thing.
Multiple areas of the brain are affected by chronic stress. Dysregulation of the limbic system with chronic stress may affect hunger, food choice, and emotional modulation of food intake. It may also affect reward-seeking behaviour. Mental stress may affect the cerebrum, which may contribute to prioritization of personal, work, or other behaviours and activities, with less prioritization of healthful behaviours and activities (i.e., healthful nutrition and regular physical activity). Mental stress may impair self-regulation and promote choosing unhealthful (immediately rewarding ultra-processed) foods over more healthful (delayed-gratification unprocessed) foods.
On the flip side, obesity and its adverse health complications may increase mental stress. A vicious cycle is established in which living with obesity may contribute to unhealthful behaviour, endocrinopathies and immunopathies, which in turn, may further worsen obesity and its complications, resulting in an adiposopathic stress cycle.
