To Lose Weight, First Learn To Relax

Want to know the first step toward losing weight? Relax. Stress, it turns out, actually helps your body retain fat. A University of Florida news release reports that researchers at that school have discovered that chronic stress stimulates the production of betatrophin, a protein that can inhibit an enzyme involved in fat metabolism. “Betatrophin reduces the body’s ability to break down fat, underscoring a link between chronic stress and weight gain,” says Li-Jun Yang, M.D., a professor and lead investigator in the UF College of Medicine’s department of pathology, immunology and laboratory medicine. The Florida study, which used mice, not people, found that mouse models under metabolic stress produced significantly more betatrophin, and their normal fat-burning processes slowed down markedly. Yes, researchers have yet to test betatrophin’s effect on fat metabolism in humans, but the new findings explain how reducing stress can be beneficial. They say that short-term mild stress can help people perform better and get through difficult situations, but long-term stress can be trouble. “Stress causes you to accumulate more fat, or at least slows down fat metabolism,” says Yang. “This is yet another reason why it’s best to resolve stressful situations and to pursue a balanced life.”