Facts about Stress

Here are some facts about how stress impacts our lives:  

• Stress has been linked to all the leading causes of death, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, accidents and suicide.
• Almost 90 percent of all visits to primary health care providers are due to stress-related problems.
• Nearly one-half of all adults suffer adverse effects from stress.
• It is estimated that 1 million Americans miss work due to stress-related complaints.

• Workplace violence has been attributed to stress. Homicide is the second leading cause of fatal occupational injury.  

What is stress?

"The adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them"

Stress is not an illness but if it becomes excessive and/or prolonged, mental and physical illness may develop.

Work is generally good for people if it is well designed, but it can also be a great source of pressure. Pressure can be positive and a motivating factor, it can help us achieve our goals and perform better. Stress is a natural reaction when this pressure becomes excessive.

Are you stressed?

Stress produces a range of signs and symptoms, the following is not an exhaustive list of the symptoms of stress but if you feel that your attitudes or behaviour is changing due a situation at work or home, these may indicate stress and a need to seek further advice from your GP.

Anyone can suffer from work related stress, no matter what work they do.

Behaviour

you may:

• find it hard to sleep;
• change your eating habits;
• smoke or drink more;
• avoid friends and family;

Physical symptoms

might include:

• tiredness;
• indigestion and nausea;
• headaches;
• aching muscles;     

Mentally

you may:

• be more indecisive;
• find it hard to concentrate;
• suffer loss of memory;
• feelings of inadequacy;         

Emotionally

you are likely to:

• get irritable or angry;
• be anxious;
• feel numb;
• be hypersensitive;

Stress Can Make You Fat

STRESS CAN MAKE YOU FAT AND RUIN YOUR OVERALL HEALTH

Chronic stress can cause cravings for cookies, candy, chips and other high-fat, high-carbohydrate foods.

The stress-driven appetite for these foods leads to dangerous weight gain, primarily around the waist. 60 percent of American adults are overweight or obese, many due to stress-related food cravings. Over 20 percent of American adults are obese with a stress-related condition known as "metabolic syndrome." This condition is characterized by a beer belly, high blood pressure, poor cholesterol readings and high blood sugar.

According to Dr. Pamela Peeke, a former scientist at the National Institutes of Health and associate clinical professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, people with an apple-shaped figure are at greater risk for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and some types of cancer. "It's not just what you weigh; it's where you weigh it," says Dr. Peeke, author of Fight Fat After Forty .

The women who are high reactors to the stress hormone cortisol, consume more calories and more sweet foods under stress.

Their recent study also demonstrated that greater food consumption occurred in high cortisol reactors when they were in a negative mood.

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