What is "overwork obesity"? Do people really get fatter the busier they are?

Question from a netizen: It’s the end of the year, and I’ve been so busy lately that I feel like a working machine without any emotions! I’m either working overtime or entertaining people at the dinner table!

I thought I would become thinner as I was so obsessed with work, but when I stepped on the scale a few days ago, I found that I had gained several pounds.

Is this the so-called "overwork obesity"? Do people really get fatter the busier they are? Looking forward to your reply.

First of all, let me answer you that there is such a thing as "overwork obesity". The main reasons are:

First, the busier people are, the more likely they are to have a greater appetite.

When people work under intense pressure for a long time, they are under too much stress, and their bodies will secrete more gastrin, which increases their appetite.

At the same time, being busy at work and getting little sleep will also increase the hunger hormone in the blood, causing people to overeat.

In addition, many office workers rely on high-fat and high-calorie takeout for lunch, and have midnight snacks when working overtime at night. They often have no time to exercise. How can they not get fat?

Second, the busier people are, the easier it is for fat to accumulate.

Overworked people are usually under a lot of stress. Being under stress not only makes people eat more, but also makes the food they eat more likely to turn into fat and accumulate on the body.

The University of London Medical School conducted a 19-year follow-up survey, and the results showed that stress levels are directly proportional to obesity levels. This is probably related to changes in a series of hormone secretions in the body.

Simply put, when the body receives the signal of excessive stress——

It will release more anti-stress hormones, causing blood sugar and blood pressure levels in the body to rise, and produce fat;

It will increase the secretion of cortisol (a glucocorticoid), causing fat to accumulate in the waist, abdomen, buttocks, and back;

It will cause a decrease in thyroid hormone levels and disrupt the body's metabolic capacity.

In addition, many people often go without food for a long time when they are busy, which will cause the body's metabolism to enter a "dormant" state. The slower the metabolism, the more fat is stored in the body.

In short, "overwork obesity", like ordinary obesity, can cause various diseases and cause great harm to the body, so everyone should be extra vigilant.