Why anxiety can cause overweight, according to several scientific studies.

The relationship between these factors has been proven over decades of study.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), obesity and overweight are two of the major health problems facing the world's population today. They are defined as an abnormal or excessive accumulation of fat that can seriously damage health.

In other words, the problem of overweight and obesity is that they are two of the most important risk factors for the development of Cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders and some cancers.

Fortunately, we have been able to detect many of the causes, which in the long term may lead us to reduce their prevalence. One of the most discussed risk factors for weight gain in recent years is anxiety.

Anxiety and stress: are they the same?

Stress and anxiety are words that we sometimes use as synonyms because both refer to psychological and physiological states that alter our mood and our activity in general.

Stress can have a positive side (the English term for this is "eustress") that helps us to respond to the demands of the environment, and to flee or adapt depending on the situation. Thus, stress is a broad physiological state, which can have different manifestations and its presence can vary on a regular basis.

But when stress is a constant state, which is not serving us to respond adequately to external demands, and begins to give us the feeling of being out of control, then it may be becoming a pathological condition closer to anxiety.

According to the level at which it is presented, anxiety is characterized by a series of psychological and physiological experiences such as palpitations, tachycardia, sweating, insomnia, shortness of breath, constant movements, lack of concentration, anguish.The anxiety is a more specific condition than stress and is accompanied by important physiological changes at the physiological level.

Anxiety is a more specific condition than stress and is accompanied by important physiological changes, such as the secretion of corticosteroid hormones at very high levels and for a prolonged period of time, which in turn makes our organism and our state of mind not adaptive, but rather the opposite.

Although its causes are varied, some of the most common are lifestyles related to work or academic conditions, or more personal experiences that cause vulnerability, such as abuse, harassment, feelings of uncertainty, loss of a loved one, among others.

Why can anxiety cause overweight?

The main cause of overweight and obesity is the increased intake of high-calorie foods that are rich in fat. In turn, this increase can occur due to many factors, for example, reduced physical activity, food processing and distribution, unbalanced diets or the lack of policies that support the health sector.

Apart from the above, recent research has suggested that anxiety is another risk factor for the development of overweight and obesity, mainly for the following reason: when we feel anxious we eat more (and worse).

When we find ourselves in situations that provoke anxiety, a whole series of chemical changes occur in our brain. In these moments, something that gives us a feeling of calm and satisfaction are foods that have a higher caloric concentration, which are also less satiating, so they generate the need to eat in large quantities.

In addition, constant stress and anxiety often lead to insomnia, which makes us need to eat a greater amount of food on a daily basis, generally also with a high caloric content.

Specifically, excessive sugar consumption activates the brain system responsible for metabolizing glucocorticoids, which are the hormones that metabolize carbohydrates, and which are also activated in response to stressful situations, causing a feeling of euphoria. The latter is adaptive and important to maintain homeostasis at moderate levels of secretion, but in excess it can be problematic.

Some tips to reduce anxiety

Anxiety, in addition to being related to obesity, is related to a sedentary lifestyle, is related to sedentary lifestyles and high consumption of psychoactive substances such as alcohol or tobacco, which in turn, causes anxiety.which, in turn, leads to increased overweight and obesity. In addition, both overweight and anxiety are two problems that significantly affect children.

The good news is that some research suggests that indeed, a stable reduction of anxiety states favors a decrease in body mass index. For that reason it is important to know some ways to avoid it.

Because the causes are quite unspecific, some of the most general recommendations that we can make are based on the modification of habits; a matter that may seem quite complicated, but that can also be simple if it has an adequate follow-up.

1. Detect the moments in which we feel stressed or anxious.

Stress and anxiety can be caused by very diverse situations, for example, a conflict that we have not been able to talk about or solve at work, at school, with the couple, with friends or with the family; it can also happen that they do not have a clear cause, or that it is related to a difficulty to set limits to others.

At the beginning it is important to have clues about the situations that may be causing us constant stress, so that it is possible to modify them or modify our positions and decisions in front of them.

2. Look for alternatives

Something that we must have clear is that habits are not modified from one day to another, as well as anxiety does not disappear overnight, so it is important to learn to find relaxation through more functional things than excessive calorie intake.

For example, we can learn to disconnect and rest, or at the level of interpersonal relationships, we can try to set limits to others and to our own demands. Likewise, and according to our interests, we can choose to do physical exercise, go for a walk, visit someone, read a good book, have a cup of tea, watch a movie?

3. Establish routines that incorporate healthy habits and pleasant experiences.

It is about trying to ensure that our daily life is composed of some basic things such as having a balanced diet, in sufficient quantity and as natural and fresh as possible; doing moderate exercise, having moments of rest, sharing with our peers, and trying to do activities that produce motivation and personal satisfaction, which can be from a hobby to maintain long-term professional aspirations.

In any case, it is also important to ask for specialized help if we need it. A visit to a psychologist, psychiatrist or neurologist can also be very helpful in reducing our anxiety levels and improving our response to stressful situations.