Reducing stress and anxiety is a key factor in weight loss...

...so much so that many physicians nationwide have all said that we need to slow down significantly. Dealing with excess stress on a daily basis becomes a way of life for many individuals, making significant weight loss next to impossible. It's easy to understand why stress in America contributes to the obesity problem. Let me quickly add that there are many individuals who have some medical problems and simply cannot do anything about their weight. We, for the most part, are workaholics, and in the last 30 years or so, because of technological advances, the number of "desk jobs" has skyrocketed while the number of manual labor jobs has declined. There are many causes for this including, but not limited to, the invention of the modern computer. In a world of tight deadlines and immediate access to information, where the only things that are moving consistently are our fingers flying across the keyboard, stress and anxiety are no longer simple concepts, they are a way of life for many of us. The current economic crisis also makes it very difficult to reduce anxiety and stress, due to layoffs, or job eliminations.

Take this for example; an I.T. Tech, who works as a help desk technician, sits at a computer 8 hours a day, at least 5 days a week, talking to people on the phone. Not such a bad job. Some stress, but limited. No tight deadlines, no big investment decisions, no reason to be concerned right? Wrong. Even the smallest amount of stress amasses, and can have debilitating effects on us. Not to mention, while sitting at a desk all day, the temptation to snack on junk foods is strong and difficult to stop. These are all but a few examples of how every day events contribute, and are one of the symptoms of anxiety and stress that lead to the obesity epidemic we live with today.

Stress and anxiety are not the main causes of obesity in our world, but they are major contributors, and can also lead to other anxiety stress disorders. Sadly, simply reducing the amount of stress in our lives will not result in the sudden weight loss many individuals are searching for, but it will help in the long term. Most of us need a drastic lifestyle change and must reduce anxiety and stress to prevent other medical problems from occurring. By following various stress and strain formulas, we can reduce the pressure in our daily lives and enjoy the beauty around us.

I realize that we can't snap our fingers and make that change instantly, but by simply taking that first step and doing what we can to change our lifestyle will go a long way towards living a stress free life.

Anxiety and Panic Attacks.

When a member of your own family or a close friend is affected by anxiety and panic attacks it can be very worrying. It is not an easy condition to understand and if there is one thing sufferers will need it is understanding. Why should an apparently otherwise normal person can be afflicted by what can be a life changing condition?

Anxiety is a negative emotion which can in the worse cases lead to depression or physical signs such as chest pains, nausea or palpitations. Some degree of anxiety in certain circumstances is perfect normal but when a person can no longer control these feelings it has become a serious problem and medical advice should be sought.

When someone suffers a panic attack they will experience a variety of symptoms which might include difficulty in breathing, dizziness, chest pains and hot flushes. They could also fear that they are going to die.

The attacks will typically reach their height within 10 minutes and then sufferer will slowly return back to normal. The fear of these attacks can lead people to change there complete outlook on life. Former easy out going types can become sullen and introverted. In the worst cases, as for instance with acrophobia, the sufferer will not even leave their home.

Within the general term of anxiety there are four distinct types of disorder, panic attacks, phobias, obsessive compulsive and general anxiety disorders. If a member of your family suffers from any of these types of disorders they will need your help and support. The worst thing you can do is to tell them to "snap out of it".

There are treatments that can help sufferers of anxiety disorders and these can take the form of specialist therapy, drugs or a combination of the two. Whilst a sufferer may fear the panic attacks or want to be rid of their phobia they often believe they are not capable of overcoming it. Therefore you will need to encourage them to take that first important step of going to see a specialist and then supporting them through out their treatment. Then hopefully after treatment your family member will once again return back the person they were before the anxiety attacks began.