Stress can slow women's metabolism leading to weight gain, according to research conducted at Ohio State University. The study, published in the journal Biological Psychiatry, assessed data on 58 women (average age 53), who were questioned on stress levels and fed an identical diet.
Women who reported one or more stressful events in the 24 hours leading up to their meal burned 104 fewer calories than those who reported no stressful events. That difference could mean gaining up to 11 pounds per year, the researchers noted.
"We figured stress and depression alter so much in our lives, physiologically, but no one has really looked at metabolism, so it was an interesting opportunity to see how they might affect the metabolic process," Jan Kiecolt-Glaser, the study's co-author told FOX.
The most reported stressful issues for the study's participants were child trouble, spouse trouble or trouble at work.
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