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Is stress making you fat?

Published: Feb 24, 2017

By Lisa Greene

stress_eating

As if chronic stress isn’t bad enough, it may also widen your waistline, says a new study in the journal Obesity.

Researchers measured how stressed study participants were over a four-year period by measuring the amount of cortisol, a stress hormone, in samples of their hair, reports CBS News.

Wondering what’s causing all that stress? It might be time to delete your social media accounts. The American Psychological Association says people who constantly check their emails, texts, and social media accounts have higher stress levels, reports Bloomberg News.

(Of course, that’s just the latest way that cell phones and texting are bad for you – we’ve already heard about the dangers of distracted driving and that looking down at your cell phone can hurt your neck.)

Phew. It might be a good time to check out our Well U in 2 video for some breathing and relaxation tips.

Unfortunately, there’s more bad news to add to your fat-inducing stress levels.  U.S. life expectancy is predicted to lag behind gains in other developed nations, reports Scientific American.

A positive way to handle that news? Try eating 10 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. It may boost your odds of living longer, reports the BBC.

This Week in Health is our weekly roundup of health headlines in Florida and around the nation.