from journal Biological Psychiatry
One or more stressful events the day before eating just one high fat meal can slow the body’s metabolism and could contribute to weight gain. Ohio State University researchers questioned women about their previous day’s stresses before giving them a meal consisting of sixty grams of fat. On average, women in the study who reported one or more stressors during the previous twenty-four hours burned one hundred fewer calories in the seven hours after eating the high fat meal. That could result in almost eleven pounds of additional weight in one year. Previous studies suggest we are more likely to eat the wrong foods when we’re stressed, and that people who experience stress are more likely to become overweight. So this study in the journal Biological Psychiatry suggests one possible reason behind those connections.