Wednesday, March 3, 2021 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Fit For
Sisters
Andrew Loscutoff
Columnist
Stress and
weight gain
The pandemic has
been tough on people9s
waistlines.
It9s reported that 36
percent of people have
admitted to gaining a lot
of weight during the pan-
demic. This should come
as no surprise. In a stress-
ful environment, the body
is naturally receptive to
weight gain. And the direc-
tion people turn to soothe
some stress isn9t beneficial
for the waistline either.
Forty percent of people
report eating and watching
TV as their main coping
mechanisms.
Anyone reading this
ought to know by now the
body is a system, which is
all wired together, rather
than a machine of binary
units, which only per-
form one function. Stress,
whether psychological or
physical, produces a simi-
lar reaction; this imposes
on many unrelated func-
tions of the body, whether
or not it has to directly do
with the stress.
What happens to
the body in a stressful
situation?
First, there is a hor-
monal response. Stress
sends a cascade of chem-
istry, which changes the
way the body digests and
assimilates its resources.
Cortisol and glucocorti-
coids increase blood pres-
sure, free fatty acids, and
send signals to the fat cells
to take up energy. What
this means is that the body
wants to store fat 4 and
accumulates it in areas like
the abdomen.
These hormones hijack
a few other bodily systems
4 notably, the hunger and
fullness hormones. The
hormone leptin regulates
the sensation of fullness
and cravings to eat. Under
stress, the hormones are
positioned to make you feel
hungrier, and less full. This
can lead to eating more,
despite intentions to lose
weight.
Another way that stress
is holding back weight loss
is in the head. It9s known
that stress down-regulates
the prefrontal cortex of
the brain, dulling deliber-
ate thinking and higher-
level cognition. This is a
response to the fight-and-
flight mechanisms that will
save your life if you drop
everything and run instead
of thinking about it.
So, under stress, you9re
more prone to store body
fat; you9ll want to eat
more, and you won9t be so
thoughtful when making
choices. What can be done?
Use a <treatment=
approach to stress. People
undergo treatment for high
blood pressure, diabetes,
and other ailments; why not
stress?
Take a moment each
day to sit, lie down, or
move gently without dis-
tractions, noise, or work
to do. Exercise in a way
that feels good; a body
that is used to rigors will
be more adept at battling
low-level stress. Remove
things from life that create
strife, and know there are a
lot of things you can9t con-
trol 4 and worrying about
those are endeavors of
imagination.
These are a few rudi-
mentary examples 4 and
take them as such.
Professionals are available
to help. Seek out stress-
relief as a way to promote
health, not just mentally,
but physically. Do small
things each day, and take in
the simple pleasures of life.
Stress can be managed with
a little insight and work.
Your body will thank
you.
LETTERS
Continued from page 2
farm workers from exploitation by Big Ag. He supported
location of highly polluting factory farms in minority com-
munities. He promoted approval of numerous genetically
modified food products.
He allowed meatpacking employees to replace government
food-safety inspectors. He serves as a highly paid lobbyist for
the dairy industry, a significant factor in the climate crisis.
He failed to lead our nation9s transition from a meat- and fat-
laden diet to a healthy, eco-friendly diet of vegetables, fruits,
and grains.
Even in crass political terms, he failed to deliver the Iowa
caucuses to the Biden candidacy and the rural vote to the
Biden presidency.
Our senators must oppose Tom Vilsack9s nomination as
secretary of agriculture.
Siegfried Neufhaus
Youth Artist Spotlight
“Braided Ring”
2021 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Gold Key Award
“Carved Ring”
2021 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Silver Key Award
Bela Chladek
Tell us about yourself;
what do you love?
I love to ski, be active, work with
my hands, and hang out on the
lake foil boarding in the summer.
I also like to work with my
dad as a boat mechanic.
What inspires you?
Skiing and a wintery, snowy day
inspire me. Giving gifts to others
inspires me. My uncle inspires me.
What art do you like to make?
I like to make three-dimensional
art. I enjoy working with metal,
making jewelry, and working
with wood, crafting things
like skis and chairs.
Tell us about your Scholastic
entry and what makes it special.
I entered a braided wax-cast silver
ring and a carved wax-cast ring
in the Scholastic art contest. The
braided ring received the gold
key award, and I originally made
it with my aunt in mind. I carved a wave
ve and
a pattern design on the wax cast ring. I felt
happy with how both rings turned out.
Bela with skis
skkis
he designed
and built.
Youth artist spotlight courtesy of The
Nugget Newspaper. Read your Nugget
weekly for more student highlights.
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