Stress as a risk factor in overweight and obesity

Abstract

The general syndrome of adaptation or stress constitutes in humans and other species, one of the basic mechanisms of protection against agents that are evaluated as threatening and put the homeostatic balance at risk. This evaluation puts in turn specific defense systems that can be successful in avoidance or attack. The psychophysiological processes have been widely described in the scientific literature, in this work a documentary review of the relationship that the stress process has as a risk factor in the origin and maintenance of chronic-degenerative diseases of overweight and obesity is made. The concepts of good stress, bad stress and stress as a risk factor are highlighted, the latter linked to the presence of other diseases such as diabetes and arterial hypertension. In mental health with negative emotions, maladaptive behaviors or distortion of cognitions. In this work, these concepts of stress are reviewed in their conceptualization and the possible relationship with chronic degenerative diseases such as obesity, the mechanisms of energy use for adaptation, which makes psychobiological integration par excellence.