每天要面對(duì)來自生活少孝、工作的壓力對(duì)于很多現(xiàn)代人來說已是家常便飯继低，但隨之而來的是由壓力引起的健康隱患，包括睡眠不足和心臟疾病等稍走。你知道嗎袁翁，除此之外柴底，壓力還可以使人的體重增加，甚至導(dǎo)致肥胖粱胜？

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Why stress makes you fat?

Have you ever had a stressful day? Many people do in the course of their daily lives. And on these high-pressure days, they might find themselves reaching for a?sugary snack. Perhaps this is part of their daily routine. Or perhaps on this particular day, their?self-control?is a bit low and they feel?compelled?to take?a sugar hit.

Stress is natural. That feeling of strain or pressure is a biological response, and under the right circumstances can be a great source of motivation. However, too much stress, especially?chronic stress, has been linked to?sleep disruption, a higher likelihood of a?stroke, heart-attack,?ulcer?or?depression, among other things.? But why should stress make a person?comfort eat?

Dr Giles Yeo, a member of the BBC’s Trust Me, I’m a Doctor team, got together with scientists from Leeds University to conduct an experiment into the effect of stress on?blood sugar. Dr Yeo was subjected to a stress test. In the first stage, he was forced to answer mathematical questions rapidly. In the second, he had to immerse his hand in a bath of ice-cold water for a period of time.

Before and after these tests, the Leeds scientists would measure Dr Yeo’s blood sugar levels. These are the levels which rise when we eat as our body takes in the energy of the food. In a healthy person, these levels quickly return to normal. However, when Dr Yeo was being deliberately subjected to stress, his blood sugar took six times longer to drop than on a?stress-free?day.

When we become stressed, our bodies enter ‘fight or flight’ mode. Because our body believes it’s under attack, it releases?glucose?into the blood to provide energy for muscles. However, if we don’t use that energy, our body then releases?insulin?to make the blood sugar levels drop. This drop causes a hunger response: you want to eat. And what you particularly crave is sugary food, which rapidly replenishes the energy you have lost. If this happens repeatedly, over a long enough period, these?high-calorie?foods can lead to?obesity.

So what can we do to?combat?the?stress? In an article for the BBC, Dr Michael Mosley recommends ‘stress-busting’ techniques, like exercise, gardening, mindfulness or another activities that you enjoy. But his strongest recommendation is trying to get a good night’s sleep. A recent study carried out by researchers at King's College, London found that if you deprived people of sleep, they would consume, on average, an extra 385kcal per day, which is equivalent to the calories in a large muffin. So, try sleeping to decrease stress, and as a result make it easier to?keep yourself?a little?trimmer.

詞匯表

sugary snack 含糖的零食
self-control 自控力
compelled 不得不地
a sugar hit 由糖帶來的一時(shí)的刺激
chronic stress 慢性壓力，長期不斷的壓力
sleep disruption 睡眠中斷
stroke 中風(fēng)
heart-attack 心臟病發(fā)作
ulcer 潰瘍
depression 抑郁，憂郁
comfort eat 安慰性飲食
blood sugar 血糖
stress-free 無壓力的
glucose 葡萄糖
insulin 胰島素
high-calorie 高熱量的
obesity 肥胖
combat stress 克服型型、對(duì)抗壓力
stress-busting 減壓的
keep yourself trimmer 使你保持苗條身材

測(cè)驗(yàn)與練習(xí)

1. 閱讀課文并回答問題庵芭。

1. True or false:?Stress is always negative.

2. ?What has chronic stress been linked to?

3. ?How much longer did it take Dr Yeo’s blood sugar to drop after the stress test than on a stress-free day?

4. ?Why do we crave sugary food in particular when our blood sugar is low?

5. ?How can we best combat stress?

2. 請(qǐng)?jiān)诓粎⒖颊n文的情況下完成下列練習(xí)。選擇一個(gè)意思合適的單詞填入句子的空格處涯曲。

1. ?John! That’s more than enough chocolate now. You’ll be ill. Have some ______.?

sugary snack?????? self-control?????? blood sugar?????? high-calorie

2. ?He’s a kleptomaniac. It means he’s ______ to steal. He can’t help it. It’s biological.

compelled?????? chronic?????? disruption?????? stress-free

3. ?When my mother was pregnant, she really ______ figs.

stroke?????? depression?????? craved?????? combatted

4. ?With the availability of cheap high-calorie foods, the UK now has a problem with ______.

chronic stress?????? sleep disruption?????? depression?????? obesity

5. ?Since he broke up with her, Jane hasn’t stopped ______. She’s getting really big.

sugar hitting?????? heart-attacking?????? comfort eating?????? combatting stress

答案

1.?閱讀課文并回答問題野哭。

1. True or false:?Stress is always negative.
False. That feeling of strain or pressure is a biological response, and under the right circumstances can be a great source of motivation.

2. What has chronic stress been linked to?
It has been linked to sleep disruption, a higher likelihood of a stroke, heart-attack, ulcer or depression, among other things.

3. How much longer did it take Dr Yeo’s blood sugar to drop after the stress test than on a stress-free day?
When Dr Yeo was being deliberately subjected to stress, his blood sugar took six times longer to drop than on a stress-free day.

4. Why do we crave sugary food in particular when our blood sugar is low?
Sugary food rapidly replenishes the energy you have lost.

5. How can we best combat stress?
We can best combat stress by trying to get a good night’s sleep.

2.?請(qǐng)?jiān)诓粎⒖颊n文的情況下完成下列練習(xí)。選擇一個(gè)意思合適的單詞填入句子的空格處掀抹。

1. John! That’s more than enough chocolate now. You’ll be ill. Have some?self-control.

2. He’s a kleptomaniac. It means he’s?compelled?to steal. He can’t help it. It’s biological.

3. When my mother was pregnant, she really?craved?figs.

4. With the availability of cheap high-calorie foods, the UK now has a problem with?obesity.

5. Since he broke up with her, Jane hasn’t stopped?comfort eating. She’s getting really big.

本文來源：BBC英語教學(xué)隨身英語

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