This does more than increase stress levels; it also makes parents more reluctant to allow children to ride their bikes to the park to play. Parents end up driving kids to play dates and structured activities, which means less activity for the kids and more stress for parents.

Time pressures — whether for school, work, or family obligations — often lead people to eat on the run and to sacrifice sleep, both of which can contribute to weight gain.

Some researchers also think that the very act of eating irregularly and on the run may contribute to obesity. New neurological evidence indicates that the brain's biological clock — the pacemaker that controls numerous other daily rhythms in our bodies — may also help to regulate hunger and satiety signals. Ideally, these signals should keep our weight steady. They should prompt us to eat when our body fat falls below a certain level or when we need more body fat (during pregnancy, for example), and they should tell us when we feel satiated and should stop eating. Close connections between the brain's pacemaker and the appetite control center in the hypothalamus suggest that hunger and satiety are affected by temporal cues. Irregular eating patterns may disrupt the effectiveness of these cues in a way that promotes obesity.

Similarly, research shows that the less you sleep, the more likely you are to gain weight. Lack of sufficient sleep tends to disrupt hormones that control hunger and appetite. In a 2004 study of more than 1,000 volunteers, researchers found that people who slept less than eight hours a night had higher levels of body fat than those who slept more, and the people who slept the fewest hours weighed the most.

Stress and lack of sleep are closely connected to psychological well-being, which can also affect diet and appetite, as anyone who's ever gorged on cookies or potato chips when feeling anxious or sad can attest. Studies have demonstrated that some people eat more when affected by depression, anxiety, or other emotional disorders. In turn, overweight and obesity themselves can promote emotional disorders: If you repeatedly try to lose weight and fail, or if you succeed in losing weight only to gain it all back, the struggle can cause tremendous frustration over time, which can cause or worsen anxiety and depression. A cycle develops that leads to greater and greater obesity, associated with increasingly severe emotional difficulties.

Job Stress

There are a number of causes that often lead to job stress. Poor working conditions, work pressure and demands from employers are some of the major reasons leading to an employee’s dissatisfaction towards the workplace and results in job stress.

Some main causes are as follows:

• Job Insecurity
• Increase Demand for Performance
• Work Culture
• Technological Advancements

Job Stress Factors

• 40% of workers reported their job was very stressful
• Three Fourths of employees believe that workers have more on – the – job stress than a generation ago.
• 29% of workers felt quite a bit or extremely stressed at work.
• Job stress is more strongly associated with health complaints than financial or family problems

Source: A report by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, a division of the CDC.

Ways to Cope With Job Stress

• Do Not Pressure Yourself!!!
• Talk To Human Resources
• Get Professional Help

Stress List

1. Serious Illness in a family member (excluding death)
2. Serious concern about a family member (excluding Illness)
3. Death of a family member
4. Divorce or separation
5. Forced to move house
6. Forced to change job
7. Been made redundant
8. Feelings of insecurity at work
9. Serious financial trouble
10. Been legally prosecuted

The Advanced Center for Health & Pain Management treats stress with the following resources and strategies:

Medical Physician

Our center staffs a Medical Doctor who will give you a complete examination in order to best evaluate your healthcare needs, including strategies for weight loss and stress management. He may prescribe FDA-approved medication to help you sleep at night or to reduce your anxiety.

Naprapathic Physician

Our center staffs a Licensed Naprapath who will do specific Naprapathic Manipulation to help relax your body and relax tightened connective tissues.

Nutritional Counseling

Our center staffs a Licensed Dietitian who can help change your diet so that you may have a more restful sleep. We may also recommend various supplements and herbs that will help to reduce stressful anxieties.

Laser Therapy

Our center staffs a Laser Meridian Therapist (Laserologist) who will use a soft laser on various points on your body to promote relaxation.

Massage Therapy

Our center staffs a Licensed Massage Therapist who will use various forms of body work to help relax tight muscles so your tension is reduced.

For more information on Stress Management or Therapies, or to set up an appointment please call:
(630) 833-4007 or (708) 656-7000.