Muffin-Tops

© Jacquelyn Johnston, M. Ed.

A very busy Sam called and asked me today if stress could cause a recurrent infection. Had this experience? What would you have answered? I told Sam, an engineer who often worked overtime, that the short answer was both yes and no.

Huh?

Well, yes in the long run, stress can lower your immune responses, Sam, so if you’re prone to infections of different kinds, you’ll get the more often if you’re stressed. And No, you probably won’t give up the ghost if you’ve had one stressful day, but then over time it will catch up with you. And you’ll roll out the welcome mat for any infection looking for a B & B! But if you have a heart condition, who knows?

Sam was noticing that his waistline was expanding. At 52 he loved his job, but felt he just had to finish off that project. Trouble is, there have been a strangely familiar succession of projects like that, many ordered-in suppers, and no exercise. A recipe for what? You got it, Sam. Pre-diabetes, the antechamber to diabesity.

Like a lot of people, Sam was entertaining the elephant in the room. This, coupled with denial—52-year-olds who play golf once a week don’t get heart attacks, and, what the heck, he could just go buy a new belt. To keep all that stress in.

Over coffee the other day Sam, who had also ordered a large muffin, wanted to know why I was stifling a chuckle.

“Muffin-top”, I said. What do you mean muffin-top? Well, Sam soon found out that guys whose belly overspills their belt are, in weight-loss circles, often known as muffin-tops. And that muffin-tops are the most dangerous parts of the anatomy to harbor fat. They almost put out a sign, like the overhanging (no pun intended) ones in the supermarkets, saying “This way for Diabesity”.

If you’d like to know why this is the case, download my free report from the form on the right side of this page, then tell me what you think. I’d love to read your comments. And any questions you might have.

Ciao for now.