Do stress or depression cause weight gain or calorie retention even if no more food is consumed than prior?

Question

In other words, if diet remains constant, do stress or 'depression' still cause weight gain from changes in the way the body processes what is eaten? I'm in need of an objective answer, not guesses or hunches or opinions; please quote some sort of source or give enough specific details of the process that I can research those further.

Answer 1

Aside from the physiological answers given above (more relevant to your question), there is the practical aspect. The definition of Major Depressive Episode does include such symptoms as:
a) interest...decreased in nearly all activities
b) a marked gain of weight without dieting
c) nearly every day the patient sleeps excessively
d) the patient's activity is...slowed down
e) Nearly every day there is tiredness or loss of energy;

but the definition of Acute Stress Disorder has none of those symptoms causing lethargy.

Just practically--if an individual ate the same calories as before, but slept more, and moved less, there would be weight gain, during that period of the depression.

Answer 2

Yup. Look up the relationship between cortisol in the body and heart disease/weight gain/etc. There are a bunch of other pathways that cause what you're talking about, but I think this will give you what you're looking for.

Answer 3

If your metabolism, gets slowed down by stress, well then at that time , weigh seems to not go down, and if you eat to lift your mood, it's apt to go up. Not a guess, it's a life time observation.

Answer 4

muscle burns at least four times as many calories as fat does so try twenty minutes of strength straining two to three times a week

Answer 5

if you re cooking food in the microwave chances are you re eating unhealthy packaged foods if you must microwave consider soy chicken patties veggie burgers or steamer vegetables and brown rice

Answer 6

Stop hunger pangs while dieting by eating foods that keep you full

Answer 7

pole vault for 17 minutes

Answer 8

invest in a treadmill desk like the trekdesk 479 trekdesk com

Answer 9

Chew gum while cooking to stop snacking

Answer 10

Eat less at night