does stress cause fat?

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Could the stress I've been having for awhile now, from dealing with being at college and in social situations with aspergers, cause me to gain weight? I eat really, really healthy and exercise alot but i still have a little bit of a gut. Granted i do drink occasionly, but could the stress actually cause abdominal fat?

no it is all the food and beer

If you eat healthily that's a good start, although regular exercise is probably more important in the long run. As for the drinks, well, it depends what you're drinking!

Stress doesn't normally cause weight gain except indirectly through "comfort eating" which you obviously don't do.

Indeed I think the only reason I'm not about 20 stone is because I'm permanently wound up and pacing around - I burn off a lot of "nervous energy". Weight gain is normally associated with a sedentary lifestyle.

thats what i was thinking and people keep telling me....i have learned not to eat because im stressed so i am not worried about that, the only thing im worried about is weight gain because it does feel like my stomach sticks out more when i am stressed

Yeah, there's a chemical called cortisol which causes you to keep fat on, particularly around your waste (ie. you could be skinny as a rail but have a gut and love handles). I don't really know what the best way of dealing with that is, supposedly there are books out there about this but I've never really found the chance or motivation to pick them up yet.

It's the drinking. Alcohol converts to sugars in your body, and any sugars you don't burn converts to fat. My brother, who's in his 20's (beer-drinking age) is expanding repidly, for no reason other than the beers. I am still deflating from the regular beer-drinking I did years ago.

While I'm no DR., there is some evidence to suggest that physical conditions associated with AS include low tolerances to certain protiens found in wheat, which in turn can cause amongst other things intestinal/digestion/bloating problems. I experiance these problems if I eat bread.

Could be what is called the freshman 15. Lots of ppl who start college get it a new place lot of stress so they gain weight.