Eating fatty meal after stressful day can help women gain weight

Eating a fatty meal after a stressful day can slow a woman’s metabolism and help her gain weight, research has shown.

The difference was big enough to pile on almost 11 extra pounds over the course of a year, prompting a warning not to resort to unhealthy, comfort food at times of stress.

Stressed women had higher levels of insulin, which contributes to fat storage. Their fat was also less likely to be oxidised — converted into a form that can be used as fuel.