Are women more likely to gain stress-related weight than men? 5 steps to relieve emotional stress

Modern women face far more sources of stress than before. In addition to being a good daughter from birth, they also have to be a good daughter-in-law and a good wife after marriage, and a good mother after having children. Not to mention that the proportion of dual-income families or working women is increasing, and they have to be good employees in the company. Being a good daughter + a good daughter-in-law + a good wife + a good mother + a good employee, women who are trying to be good daughters + daughters-in-law + wife + mother + good employees also face a lot of physical and mental pressure.

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Understand your body’s stressors

When faced with acute stress, the first part of our body to react is our brain. The hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal glands (Hypothalamus-pituatary-adrenal, referred to as the HPA axis) in the brain will work together. The HPA axis usually helps us manage body temperature, digestion, emotions, sexual desire, energy consumption, and the immune system. It is also the body's primary response system to stress, trauma, and injury.

Our pituitary gland controls all the glands in the body. When the body encounters stress, the sympathetic nerves will activate the 50 trillion cells that make up the body and put them into a state of readiness. When the sympathetic adrenal medullary system is operating, the blood flow to the digestive organs will be reduced through the secretion of adrenaline, catecholamines, cortisol and norepinephrine, and the blood will be concentrated in the muscles of the limbs, allowing the body to enter a state of activity or escape.

At this time, because the blood is concentrated in the muscles of the limbs, there is a lack of blood in the digestive system, and we will have physical conditions such as indigestion, inability to absorb, and irregular bowel movements. This is why indigestion becomes a common problem for most people who are under great pressure.

Furthermore, insomnia and nightmares caused by stress will put the body into a low-metabolism protection mode. Fatigue is also a common symptom, but this is not only due to insomnia, but also because the HPA axis is often activated and cortisol secretion is increased. This situation can cause people to lack patience, be impatient, irritable, have a rapid heartbeat, be easily frightened, etc., and thus be prone to anxiety disorders.

Different lifestyles of modern people are also a factor causing stress

The lifestyle of modern people has led to the gradual accumulation of chronic stress. Adrenaline is continuously transported into the blood through the instructions of the HPA axis. At this time, we are like drug addicts, constantly forcing the body to produce adrenaline to cope with stress. However, adrenaline is actually a cardiotonic injected into the human body during first aid. Long-term administration of cardiotonic drugs to the heart will eventually lead to problems such as palpitations and arrhythmia.

The impact of long-term chronic stress is systemic. In addition to the above-mentioned heart, digestion, anxiety and fatigue problems, it will also affect allergies, skin diseases, lack of sexual desire, and immune-related problems such as children's growth. Frequent stress will lead to a decrease in immunity.

What's worse is that when the adrenal glands are extremely tired and we still need them to cope with the operations of our daily lives, some people will start to repeat some stressful processes in their lives to stimulate the secretion of adrenaline through this pressure; some people rely on coffee to refresh themselves and keep themselves going. The adrenal glands are then forced to continuously produce adrenaline, which can eventually lead to adrenal fatigue.

This situation is like using a cash card to advance cash, the more you owe, the more you owe. This vicious cycle continues until we are exhausted physically and mentally and collapse.

Women are more likely to gain weight due to stress than men

Although women are protected by estrogen compared to men, they are less likely to suffer from cardiovascular diseases before menopause. However, newer studies have pointed out that estrogen protects women from cardiovascular disease, and the protective effect varies to varying degrees depending on the menstrual cycle. Studies have shown that the estrogen concentration in the blood is lowest on the fourth day of the menstrual period, so the protective effect on cardiovascular disease is lowest at this time.

In terms of metabolism, when women are under long-term stress, the combined effects of their estrogen and HPA axis will make them more susceptible to stress-related diseases. For example, when facing stress, women are more likely to feel depressed, or some women use "eating" to relieve stress, which can easily lead to obesity. At this time, the estrogen and HPA axis under stress will reduce the body's utilization of glucose, making glucose more easily converted into fat. The proportion of body fat increases, making it easier for people to feel tired.

Therefore, I often hear women complain that they don’t eat a lot, so why do they still gain weight? This is mainly because under long-term stress, our body's metabolism and endocrine functions are disrupted, making glucose difficult to absorb and utilize, and instead easily accumulated as fat.

Therefore, sometimes it is difficult to relieve external pressure, but we can train ourselves to deal with pressure in five steps:

Step 1: Regular life schedule

Step 2: Three meals at regular times and in fixed quantities

Step 3: Develop good exercise habits

Step 4: Develop personal interests

Step 5: Love yourself

I wish all my female friends to live a beautiful and healthy life even in a busy life.