Does Weight Loss Stress The Body?

Video Transcript

Does weight loss stress the body?

Weight loss can stress the body if the loss is sudden and dramatic. The faster the weight loss, the more stress the body experiences.

For instance, research has found that severely restricting caloric intake stresses the body and causes it to produce elevated cortisol levels to compensate for reduced caloric consumption.[1][2] Elevated cortisol stresses the body since cortisol is one of the body’s most powerful stress hormones.

And the stress can be four-fold:

1. A reduction in calories stresses the body physiologically.[3]
2. Counting calories has also been associated with an increase in stress.[1]
3. Cutting out food groups can lead to deficiencies in essential nutrients, which can stress the body.[4]
4. Increased stress: if a person engages in rigorous physical activity to lose weight.[5]

Because of these factors, it’s better to approach reducing weight as an overall lifestyle change where you gradually change food choices rather than severely cutting back on caloric intake.

This approach will be less taxing on the body and help you maintain a healthy weight over the long term rather than experiencing short-term weight loss and gaining weight again once the diet has ended.

Attaining and maintaining a healthy weight has many benefits, including helping your body maintain a healthy response to cortisol and blood sugar. Therefore, eating healthy and over the long term is a worthy endeavour.