Stress, fatty food may slow metabolism

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/stress-along-with-fatty-food-may-slow-metabolism/

By JESSICA FIRGER CBS NEWS July 14, 2014

Plenty of research shows that stress makes people more likely to consume high-fat and high-calorie comfort foods, which invariably leads to weight gain. However, a new study suggests that not only does stress prompt eating; eating after feeling stressed may lower your metabolism and make you more likely to gain weight -- as much as 11 pounds a year for some women, say the researchers.

The study, conducted at Ohio State's Clinical Research Center and published today in the journal Biological Psychiatry, found women who experienced one or more stressful events the day before eating a carbohydrate- and fat-filled meal actually metabolized the food less effectively.

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Overall , the stressed women had higher levels of insulin, which can cause the body to store more fat. Additionally, these women had less fat oxidation, the process of converting large fat molecules to smaller ones that are used to fuel the body.

The researchers also observed that a history of depression, along with recent stressors, caused a much more immediate rise in triglyceride levels after the meal.

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http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-07/osu-wis071014.php

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The researchers are reluctant to extend these findings to men because men tend to have more muscle than women, which would affect their metabolic rate, Belury said.

But the findings do offer one more motivation to keep healthful foods nearby.

"We know we can't always avoid stressors in our life, but one thing we can do to prepare for that is to have healthy food choices in our refrigerators and cabinets so that when those stressors come up, we can reach for something healthy rather than going to a very convenient but high-fat choice," Belury said.