& _" S5 Y. a5 B pStress at work makes you fat' v9 E; ~, s* X4 l! c& L
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Obesity isn't all about eating, as new studies have revealed that excessive pressure at work and constant stress can make you fat. 9 N, F/ K0 I' ~' e4 j) i7 H" }4 M# a# C5 f) `& B
The more job strain men and women reported, the more likely they were to become obese, Dr. Eric J. Brunner of the Royal Free and University College London Medical School has found. & T5 U3 y, U+ ~. Y / @- r$ w* w: A& S; gStudies revealed that chronic stress has been linked to heart disease and the metabolic syndrome, a constellation of symptoms including excess belly fat that increases the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, Reuters reported. ( K* ^) N4 @* y+ O2 ^* R' ?# r
; }& l0 T; Y+ _, ]* z$ O. ]5 MBurner and his team followed 6,895 men and 3,413 women for 19 years. All were 35 to 55 years old at the study's outset. Men and women who reported job strain on at least three occasions were 73% more likely to become obese than those who never said they were stressed on the job. ( F* f9 _% z# w K& ^: P# e / Z; Z7 b' }+ ~. U! c6 RAdjusting for factors that could be related to both job strain and obesity, such as socioeconomic status and cigarette smoking, reduced the relationship by only a small amount. + M7 Z& O4 E- q2 Z6 q $ w" V; \( ~ N8 i* j% v, g \The findings revealed that high psychological workload, together with lack of social support at work, acts as a causal factor for obesity.