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Daily stress associated with raised insulin, weight gain in women
Women who reported experiencing one or more stressful events the day preceding a high-fat meal demonstrated slowed metabolism and raised insulin levels, according to study results.
In addition, metabolic testing showed that stress-induced changes to metabolism could lead to an 11-lb weight gain in an average year.
“Over time, stressors could lead to weight gain,” study researcher Janice K. Kiecolt-Glaser, PhD, of the Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research at the Ohio State University College of Medicine, said in a press release. “We know from other data that we’re more likely to eat the wrong foods when we’re stressed, and our data say that when we eat the wrong foods, weight gain becomes more likely because we are burning fewer calories.”
Researchers tested healthy participants, some of whom reported previous depression symptoms.
Janice K. Kiecolt-Glaser, PhD
The study, published in Biological Psychiatry, examined metabolic efficiency in 58 women (mean age, 53.1 years). Data were collected on resting energy expenditure (REE), fat and carbohydrate oxidation, triglycerides, cortisol, insulin and blood glucose before and after the women consumed high-fat meals on two occasions. The research meals included eggs, turkey sausage, biscuits and gravy, for a total of 3,894 kJ (about 930 kcalories composed of 60 g fat, 59 g carbohydrate and 36 g protein). The high kcalorie total reflected an average fast food meal, according to the researchers.
To measure stressors, the women answered a daily inventory of stressful events (DISE) questionnaire, which included a self-rating measure to reduce self-report bias. Only six women reported no stressful events the day before the meal; 31 women reported at least one stressful event, and 21 reported stressful events at both visits. The researchers also evaluated previously diagnosed depression among the women in the study group.
A larger number of stressors was associated with lower post-meal REE (P=.008), as measured by indirect calorimeter. A greater number of stressful events was linked to lower fat oxidation (P=.04) and higher insulin (P=.01), with no significant effect demonstrated on cortisol and glucose. Notably, women with previous depression reported higher cortisol (P=.008) and higher fat oxidation (P=.004) without demonstrating significant effect on REE, insulin and glucose.
“The cumulative 6-hour difference between one prior day stressor and no stressors translates into 435 kJ [about 104 calories], a difference that could add almost 11 pounds per year,” the researchers wrote.
The study is relevant for patients diagnosed with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes, or patients with prediabetes who could benefit from weight loss. “Higher insulin promotes visceral fat accumulation that can lead to weight gain,” Kiecolt-Glaser told Endocrine Today.
“We know we can’t always avoid stressors in our lives, 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,” study researcher Martha Belury, PhD, professor of human nutrition at Ohio State, said in a press release. — by Reagan Copeland
For more information:
Kiecolt-Glaser can be reached at Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research at the Ohio State University College of Medicine, 460 Medical Center Drive, Room 130C, Columbus, OH 43210-1228; email: Janice.Kiecolt-Glaser@osumc.edu.
Disclosure: The researchers reported no relevant financial disclosures. This study was supported in part by NIH grants.