When asked what part of their body people are unhappy with, the answer, more often than not, has to do with the midsection – the middle-age spread, muffin top or the belly bulge. 
Despite many diets and attempts to lead a ‘healthier’ lifestyle, it is often difficult to get that bulge to budge.
But while many of us feel that the main reason behind belly fat is poor diet, or a sedentary lifestyle, this is not the only factor.
While this can contributes to the problem, the biggest contributor is one that so many people all over the world deal with today – stress.
And the holiday and festive season, too, can cause stress and anxiety.
“Cortisol is released in response to stress to regulate the fuel necessary for the fight-or-flight response,” said Jenny Evans, nutrition and exercise physiology expert and author of The Resiliency Revolution: Your Stress Solution for Life.
“Our ancestors did a lot of fighting and/or fleeing and had to be very careful about managing energy stores on the body. Cortisol is a hormone that regulates both hunger and fat storage in response to stress.”
One of the most successful ways to deal with the stress modern life throws at us in so many ways is hypnotherapy.
The National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH) states: “We live in a society where great demands and responsibilities are placed upon us.
“Today, about one in seven people are suffering from stress or anxiety at any one time in the UK. And while some people manage, more and more people are showing signs of over-anxiety which leads to stress, which can make a significant impact on the quality of life and well-being.”
This stress can lead to ‘problem behaviour’ like over-eating or compulsive eating and this, obviously, has its subsequent problems.
Fitness and personal development expert Debi Silber said: “One of the things cortisol will do is drive fat storage-particularly around the middle. This flooding of hormones also suppresses the thyroid which is in charge of our metabolism. So, chronic stress lowers thyroid function, slows metabolism and we have another reason why we’re gaining weight.”
In other words, even if eating well and exercising, if a person leads a high-stress lifestyle, that belly fat will be much more difficult to shake.
An NCH-registered hypnotherapist can help counter the effects stress has on a client by finding the root of the stress – whether it be a situation, a physical issue, a past experience or a relationship, for example.
The therapist will then set the client a goal, asking how they wish to feel and what they would choose in their life to be stress or anxiety free.
Together, the therapist and the client will then work towards reaching these goals using a range of techniques which may differ from therapist to therapist, depending on the client’s needs.
Being free of stress will then, in turn, reduce the cortisol levels and lessen the impact on the thyroid and allow a better metabolism.
But be warned, the fat around your stomach is something that can threaten your life.
“The fat around your belly is dangerous,” said registered dietician and author Liz Pearson.
“It doesn’t just sit there. It’s biologically active, producing hormones and other substances that promote chronic inflammation and negatively impact the way your body handles sugars and fats. Abdominal fat can kill you – the more of it you have, the greater your risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, dementia, cancer and more.”
Again this is where hypnotherapy can help. By working on the client’s sub conscious, a hypnotherapist can introduce a healthier diet and instil a weight management programme that can lead to a healthier lifestyle and weight loss.
If you are stressed and worried about your belly bulge and weight, why not seek out a hypnotherapist near you by using the NCH directory and begin life anew.
