Fight Fat After Forty: How to Stop Being a Stress Eater and Lose Weight Fast - Softcover

Pamela Peeke

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0749922230 ISBN 13: 9780749922238

Publisher: Piatkus Books, 2001

Synopsis

It's a scientific fact: Chronic, uncontrolled stress makes you fat. But under Dr. Peeke's clinical guidance, her patients have removed what she calls toxic weight and now, through a multilayered program, readers will learn how to identify their own stress profile and reverse the thickening of their waistlines by beating the "toxic stress" that causes it. This dangerous toxic stress triggers the release of hormones that cause fat to settle inside the abdomen (causing the "apple" body shape), alter metabolism, damage the immune system, and let loose cravings for foods that make that little black dress feel like a tourniquet.

About this title

Review

If you're a woman over 40, you are undergoing physical and emotional changes, declining metabolism, fat deposits at your waistline, decreased energy, mood swings, food cravings--do we need to continue this list? Now pile on chronic, long-term stress (which the author terms toxic stress), which hits women between 40 and 60 and leads to self-destructive eating behavior. "Uncontrolled or toxic stress keeps the refueling appetite on, thus inducing stress eating and weight gain," Peeke explains. The stress triggers are constant, so the body never gets to turn off the stress response. The weight gained from this chronic, toxic stress--toxic weight--settles inside the abdomen and is associated with heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Peeke explains the association between stress and fat gain, and describes the stress/eating cycle ("the itch you can't scratch"). Then she teaches tools for "regrouping": formulating and following a contingency plan of nutrition, exercise, and self-care. Next are suggestions for a nutritional plan tied to stressful times of the day and an explanation of food needs after age 40. In the final chapters, Peeke nudges us to exercise to relieve stress, reduce body fat, and benefit overall health. Peeke is a highly regarded scientist and clinician who studies the link between stress and fat at the National Institutes of Health. She's also Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and works with Vice President Gore as the Medical Director of the National Race for the Cure for Breast Cancer. --Joan Price

About the Author

Pamela Peeke, M.D., M.P.H., devoted three years to investigating the link between stress and fat at the National Institutes of Health. She is an internationally recognized expert and speaker in the fields of nutrition and stress as well as the newly evolving field of integrative medicine. She has appeared as an in-studio expert on Oprah, Nightline, PBS's Health Week, and CNN Headline News. She regularly appears as a science and health news commentator for the major networks. Dr. Peeke pursued her work in stress physiology as a senior research fellow at the NIH. She is Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Dr. Peeke also works with Vice President Gore as the Medical Director of the National Race for the Cure for Breast Cancer.

Edition details

• Publisher: Piatkus Books
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0749922230
• ISBN 13: 9780749922238
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 318