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Stress can cause a physiological response

Stress (roughly the opposite of relaxation) is a medical term for a wide range of strong external stimuli, both physiological and psychological, which can cause a physiological response called the general adaptation syndrome, first described in 1936 by Hans Selye in the journal Nature.

Selye was able to separate the physical effects of stress from other physical symptoms suffered by patients through his research. He observed that patients suffered physical effects not caused directly by their disease or by their medical condition.

Selye described the general adaptation syndrome as having three stages:

alarm reaction, where the body detects the external stimuli
adaptation, where the body engages defensive countermeasures against the stressor
exhaustion, where the body begins to run out of defenses
There are two types of stress: eustress (“positive stress”) and distress (“negative stress”), roughly meaning challenge and overload. Both types may be the result of negative or positive events. If a person both wins the lottery and has a beloved relative die on the same day, one event does not cancel the other — both are stressful events. (Note that what causes distress for one person may cause eustress for another, depending upon each individual’s life perception.) When the word stress is used alone, typically it is referring to distress.

Serenity is defined as a state in which an individual is disposition-free or largely free from the negative effects of stress, and in some cultures it is considered a state that can be cultivated by various practices, such as meditation, and other forms of training.

Stress can directly and indirectly contribute to general or specific disorders of body and mind. Stress can have a major impact on the physical functioning of the human body. Such stress raises the level of adrenaline and corticosterone in the body, which in turn increases the heart rate, respiration, and blood pressure and puts more physical stress on bodily organs. Long-term stress can be a contributing factor in heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke and other illnesses.

The Japanese phenomenon of karoshi, or death from overwork, is believed to be due to heart attack and stroke.

More: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stress_%28medicine%29

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Obesity is a significant risk factor in mortality

Obesity is a condition where natural energy reserve, stored in the fatty tissue of humans and mammals is increased to a point where it is thought to be a significant risk factor for certain health conditions as well as increased mortality. Obesity in wild animals is relatively rare, but it is common in domestic animals like pigs and household pets who may be overfed and underexercised.

Excessive body weight has been shown to correlate with various important diseases, particularly cardiovascular disease, diabetes, sleep apnea and osteoarthritis. It is also considered a risk factor for certain cancers. Interventions, such as diet and exercise as well as medication and weight-loss surgery in severe cases are frequently recommended to reduce the risk of developing disease.

Obesity is a concept that is being continually redefined. In humans, the most common statistical estimate of excess fat mass is the body mass index (BMI), calculated by dividing the weight by the height squared; its unit is therefore kg/m2, although no actual surface is implied. The BMI was created in the 19th century by the Belgian statistician Adolphe Quetelet.

More: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obesity

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Welcome to our “Battling-Obesity” Blog

This blog was ready for posting on February 27, 2006. Everything in the archives before today’s date has been posted retroactively to maintain the proper timeline.

You see .. According to my doctors and all of their scientific data .. I am obese..

Practically all of the information found prior to today’s date, posted by me, was originally posted in Real Time either first in my “HART-Attack” Blog at getting-in-shape.blogspot.com/ .. or secondly in my “HARTandYVONNE” Blog at HARTandYVONNE.com. I have since decided to leave my personal blog strictly for family issues, all our wedding pictures and vacation related information.

Okay then – although this is not an entertainment blog, I am apparently still “Battling Obesity” .. I will be documenting my journey in the hopes to assist myself in overcoming this obstacle and getting back into shape .. and I have created a new category to group all of my Battling-Obesity stories in one that I like to call ..

HART: Getting In Shape

note: The lastest posts are on top. The “story” works best if you scroll down to the bottom of the page, and keep hitting “Previous Entries” until the beginning of this blog. Then, read UPwards getting to the current date and time.

Take care.
HART

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About This Blog: Battling-Stress.com

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