Newsletter article - Waisted!

[Guest guest]

" and Friends Newsletter"Never Give UpVol. 7, No. 3December 2000

Waisted!

Been stressing about your waistline? Maybe a little *less* stress would help! When researchers at Yale decided to check to see if stress levels and fat patterns had any connection, they found out that women who fretted the most (about *anything*) had more fat cells in their mid-sections than above it or below it. In the medical world, that's called an "apple" shape. You probably don't think of an apple as something dangerous, but in this case it is. Why? Cuz the apple-shaped body is more prone to heart disease and diabetes.

Now why on earth would stress in your mind cause an apple-shaped body? Is it because people who are under stress eat more apples? I don't think so! Is it because people under stress eat more *everything*? That's not what the Yale researchers think, either, though it kinda makes sense. The reason the fat cells decide to head waist-ward has to do with the stress hormones you make. One of these, called cortisol, signals your body to store its fat in the waist area. In the Yale study, the women who had more abdominal fat tended to be women who felt threatened by stressful tasks. They adjusted slowly to the things they thought were scary, had more negative moods, and had more stress in their real lives, too.

Who needs more fat cells around their waist? not me. To tell the truth, I'm *glad* to find one more reason to add more fun and happiness to my day, especially now. I mean, it's the holidays! What time of year has more potential for overwhelming us to the point where we end up crying on Santa's lap at the mall? So don't get "waisted" this holiday season! Let's let up on ourselves. Let's do what we can do and make sure its our best. If the people around us are stressin', let's *not* let 'em pull us into their static field. I have a better idea . . . let's take a break and sit in the fireglow!

So this year, don't mess with stress! Instead, shine with the joy of the holidays. It's good for your spirit, your mind, your body, and *especially* your waist.

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