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Dr Bollmann - Anti-Agiing Expert; Founder, Bare Skin Care products - best face cream available.
Why do STRESS and OBESITY cause you to age faster?
One of the main theories on the cause of aging is shortening of the telomere, which is the end of the chromosome. The longer the telomere, the best chance to live longer.
Telomeric shortening is thought to govern the number of times a cell can divide. Telomeres seem to be affected by environmental and genetic factors, as well as newly identified considerations:
• Stress: Researchers from the US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS; North Carolina, USA) assessed data collected in the Sister Study, involving 50,000 women, ages 35-74 years. The team observed that: “Among women with both higher perceived stress and elevated levels of the stress hormone epinephrine, the difference in telomere length was equivalent to or greater than the effects of being obese, smoking or 10 years of aging."
• Obesity: A separate group of researchers from the US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS; North Carolina, USA) observed that women with an overweight or obese body mass index (BMI) before or during their 30s that was maintained subsequently, had shorter telomeres than those who became overweight or obese after their 30s. This team comments that: “Our results support the hypothesis that obesity accelerates the aging process.”
Not only do environmental and genetic factors contribute to disease risks and premature aging, but new considerations including stress and obesity warrant identification and early intervention.
