Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Don't Let the Recession Make You Overweight!

I'm no economics genius, so I can't help solve the recession, but I do know that times of stress cause some folks to eat more than they need - and that means weight gain for many.

In fact, that's what this Japanese research study found. The scientists studied 122 workers between the ages of 21-60 and found that work stress (in the form of tension, anxiety and depression) was associated with an increase in eating.

The researchers called this, "eating to satiety" (basically eating until they were full, every time). Unfortunately, eating to satiety was also associated with weight gain.

The researchers concluded that work stress can negatively impact your eating patterns, causing you to gain weight. And in today's stressful world, that is not good news.

So here's what you need to do. If stress is making you eat more, make sure you keep high-calorie, energy dense foods such as processed carbohydrates (chips, cookies, baked goods, etc.) out of your house and office.

Load up on whole, natural foods such as fruits, vegetables, and raw nuts (yes, nuts!). These foods will fill you up before you can eat too many calories, and you'll limit your risk of gaining weight, even if you eat to satiety due to stress.

Stay strong during these turbulent times,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS

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3 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is great advice Craig. One of the main reasons we put on weight is because we eat for so many other reasons OTHER THAN HUNGER. Stress is definitely one of the main ones. If you're hungry, grab an apple. No one's ever put on weight eating apples!

- Dave

Craig Ballantyne, CTT, Certified Turbulence Trainer said...

very true David!

Anonymous said...

Great Advice!!! I know that for me it's a constant struggle to keep the weight down in such tough times.
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