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"    As if you needed something else to worry about, it turns out stress may be responsible for your suddenly tighter jeans\u2014and not just as a result of the junk food you reach for when you&amp;#039;re upset. According to a new study published in the journal Biological Psychiatry, stress causes a physical reaction in your body that makes you burn fat more slowly.  Researchers at Ohio State University asked 58 women about any stressful moments over the past day, and then fed them eggs, turkey sausage, biscuits, and gravy\u2014a meal that contained 930 calories and 60 grams of fat. They then measured participants&amp;#039; metabolic rate, blood sugar, triglycerides (a type of fat in the blood), and levels of insulin and the stress hormone, cortisol.  Seven hours later, the women who reported one or more stressful activities over the past 24 hours had higher levels of insulin, which contributes to fat storage, and burnt both less fat and 104 fewer calories compared to women who weren&amp;#039;t stressed\u2014a number that adds up to gaining 11 pounds over the course of a year.  Researchers say their study shows how important it is to avoid high-fat foods, even when you&amp;#039;re stress-eating. &amp;quot;One thing we can do to prepare for [stress] is to have healthy food choices in our refrigerators and cabinets, so that when those stressors come up, we can reach for something healthy,&amp;quot; study co-author Martha Belury said in a statement. Of course, we don&amp;#039;t intentionally eat fattier foods when stressed, and it&amp;#039;s a tough habit to break. But the more you know... Related:Will Eating More Fat Get You Skinny?10 Foods That Turn On the Calorie Burn10 High-Sugar Foods to Nix Now "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.redbookmag.com/body/news/a18672/stress-weight-gain/>