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Effect of a Lifestyle Program on Holiday Stress, Cortisol & Body Weight

S. Talbott, A. Christopulos, & E. Richards
Treehouse Athletic Club & SupplementWatch, Inc.
Salt Lake City, Utah

 

BACKGROUND

According to articles published in the nutrition journal, the author strongly suggests that stress/cortisol exposure is associated with increased appetite, weight gain, and specifically with increased abdominal adiposity.  Weight gain is significant and weight loss difficult during the 6-week holiday period as anecdotal reports and subjective assessment of holiday weight gain may be high.  High cortisol secretion is associated with abdominal fat and abdominal fat is most highly associated with illness and death from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome, including hypertension, hyperlipidemia, hyperinsulinemia, & insulin resistance.

 

 

Women with high cortisol response (compared to low responders) usually consumed more calories, ate significantly more sweet foods, and had more negative moods.  Most weight loss programs require Dietary Restraint, where we consciously trying to limit food intake to achieve or maintain a desired body weight.  However, High dietary restraint is associated with high urinary cortisol excretion indicating stress associated with following the diet program.

 

PURPOSE

This study evaluate effects on measures of stress/mood, cortisol, body weight, and body composition

 

METHOD

Fifty subjects (42 women and 8 men) were recruited to participate in a 8-week lifestyle program of stress management, nutrition intervention, exercise, and Citrus PMF supplementation.  All participants were self-identified as “high stress” with historical holiday weight gain.  Program was conducted from week prior to Thanksgiving to week after New Year’s Day.  Before and after the 8-week program, we measured: body weight (BW), body fat percentage (BIA via RJL system), waist circumference, Profile of Mood States, and salivary cortisol (Salimetrics, State College, PA).  Paired Student’s t-tests were used to assess differences between pre/post measures. Statistical significance was accepted at P < 0.05. Data are expressed as mean +SD.

 

Participants met weekly for group educational seminars

– Stress management - yoga, guided imagery, deep breathing, etc.

– Exercise - customized by CPT - 5d/wk (3 aerobic/2 strength)

– Nutrition - based on RMR for no more than 500 kcal/d deficit

– Supplementation - multivitamin/mineral, citrus flavonoids, etc…

– Evaluation - identification of stressful events and interventions

 

RESULTS:

46 (40 women and 6 men) out of 50 participants completed the program (91% completion rate), suggesting that the program was easy to follow and not overly restrictive. Results showed that the overall lifestyle program led to slight reduction in body weight (0.6kg) and waist circumference (1.3cm). 

 

 

Participants also experience improvement in global mood state score (-19.7%) and reduction in saliva cortisol level (-18.7%).    

 

 

 

Global Mood State Score Improved by 19%, indicating 19% reduction in tension, 40% reduction in depression, 41% reduction in anger, 29% increase in vigor, 41% reduction in fatigue, and 14% reduction in confusion.

 

 

 

Although the body weight loss was not significant (0.6kg), body composition revealed that the supplementation of PMF following SENSE lifestyle program help to reduce body fat by 5%, reduce fat mass by 1.9kg and increase lean mass by 1.3kg.  

 

 

 

CONCLUSIONS

Cortisol/stress exposure has been associated with increased appetite, obesity, and abdominal adiposity.  Control of cortisol/stress would be expected to reduce appetite and enhance weight loss (metabolic effect) – and perhaps to improve compliance with the 8-wk diet and exercise regimen (behavioral effect).  Results of this 8-week weight loss program suggest that a comprehensive stress management, exercise, nutrition, and Citrus PMF supplementation regimen (SENSE) delivers positive changes in mood, cortisol, body weight, body fat, and waist circumference - even during the “high-stress” holiday period - and that weight gain during this time of year is not “inevitable”

 

 

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