The weight of your emotions & the science of fat conversion

Do you find that despite hours in the gym, or strict calorie control, weight loss still feels like a battle? If the weight around your middle refused to budge, your emotional health could be the cause.

Fats are not to be feared, but understood. They have been vilified in our culture, due to pressure created by beauty standards, but they play many critical physiological roles in plants, fungi and animals – including humans.

Cells able to store fats (adipocytes) evolved because they increased survival. They cushion delicate organs, absorb shock from impact and insulate us, keeping us warm from the cold.

Adipose tissue works as an organ, just like the skin, pancreas or lungs. It is made up of fat cells – and stores excess calories during periods where we can eat more, so that we can survive for longer when food is scarce.

It also stores toxins like heavy metals and chemicals including DDT, PCB and other pesticides, so that toxins are not circulating in the blood, causing harm to vital organs.
And beyond that – studies show that fat not only holds toxic chemicals, it’s linked to your emotional health. Researchers led by Wenjun Gu found that those with elevated body fat, especially around their legs, thighs, hips and heads were more likely to experience depression. 

True healing can begin once the root cause of what is causing the body to hold on to fat is addressed – whether caused by diet, hormonal imbalances, environmental triggers or emotional trauma.

How overeating becomes a feedback loop

Mary, a 45 year old woman working in insurance came to me with weight difficulties. She also had issues which affected her hormonal balance and digestion, and was prone to episodes of overeating.

When foods high in sugar and refined carbohydrates are eaten and converted into glucose, insulin is secreted from the pancreas. Insulin stimulates the conversion of glucose and its byproducts into triglyceride fatty acids, to store energy and excess calories for future use. Insulin also reduces the rate of fat burning in the muscles and liver.

When you overeat and have chronically high glucose levels, fat cells grow and become resistant to insulin signalling, leading to dysfunctional fat metabolism.

Overeating can also impair your body’s ability to perceive whether or not you’re full.

Ghrelin, known as the hunger hormone, is produced by your stomach and signals to your brain that you need to eat, increasing appetite. Leptin signals that you’re full, it’s produced by fat cells and decreases appetite. When in balance, the feedback loop between these two hormones manage energy intake and fat storage.

If you continue to eat beyond your satiety cues, you can become resistant to leptin signalling. Leptin resistance is caused by high levels of leptin, and high levels of lipids in the blood. When you’re resistant to leptin, you no longer receive your signal for fullness, which encourages binges.

On the flip side, because leptin is created in adipose tissue, rapid fat loss can decrease leptin too quickly, increasing ghrelin and appetite, causing rebound weight gain. 
The relationship between stress and weight gain.

After testing Mary’s hormones and gut, we switched her to a low-glycemic diet to prevent blood sugar spikes, and removed the food intolerances identified in the gut test: dairy, gluten, egg and avocado.

We also made lifestyle changes, increasing her water intake, cutting out sugary drinks and rebalanced her gut microbiome with supplements. I also recommended she sleep earlier in the evening, as sleep disruption is another factor associated with a decrease in leptin and an increase in the hunger hormone ghrelin.

Over the course of three months, Mary was feeling more cheerful and making healthier food choices. She experienced fewer cravings for sweet treats, could control her portions when she dipped into dairy-free ice cream as a treat, had regular bowel movements and less digestive discomfort. Her weight had decreased from 144lbs to 129lbs, and she was happy that her face looked more angular.

Several months later, a family member died of cancer, and stress from work skyrocketed. She was finding it difficult to process her grief. Her sleep and energy deteriorated, she felt anxious day and night, and her motivation to exercise tanked. Her digestive symptoms returned and cravings increased.

Stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and grief can trigger the release of cortisol, the stress hormone that switches the body to ‘fight or flight’ – also known as survival mode. During these periods, your body prepares for nutritional deprivation, increasing appetite, craving high-calorie comfort foods, storing energy in the form of fat, particularly around the abdomen.

When you’re stuck in a state of chronic stress, your body holds onto fat reserves due to an impaired insulin response. During these periods, you might notice muscle loss as high cortisol breaks down muscle protein for energy and impairs muscle building hormones like testosterone and thyroid hormones.

Testosterone production is also inhibited by stress. Low testosterone prevents breakdown of fat, and there are fewer proteins produced for muscle building. Higher levels of fat around your organs can prompt the conversion of testosterone into oestrogen, worsening the problem. Increased leptin, a lack of exercise, poor diet, aging and regular consumption of alcohol can also lead to low testosterone. Testosterone is important for both men and women, and low levels are often associated with depression, anxiety, brain fog and poor blood sugar regulation.

Emotional eating, paired with the hormonal response to stress makes healthy weight loss difficult, even when diet and exercise are consistent.

Finding a safe space for Mary to feel her emotions and acknowledge her loss was key to her healing journey. I also prescribed a homeopathic remedy to ease her emotional pain and support her grieving process. Since coming to see me, Mary is now at a stable, healthy 125lbs. 

Childhood trauma and weight loss

Elaine, a 38 year old nurse who came to see me, was struggling with weight around her tummy, despite regular exercise and maintaining a healthy diet. She had high levels of stress, low iron and pimples. She was frustrated that despite her hard work, her weight was not going down.

Her energy and motivation were low, and she experienced bouts of depression and binge eating. I prescribed her supplements to raise her low iron levels and formulas for detox and stress. Shortly after, her energy and motivation increased, and her breakouts cleared up.

Despite the healthier lifestyle changes, her weight remained almost the same – Elaine had only lost a few pounds.

During her third visit, she confided that whenever she lost weight, she would self-sabotage and binge comfort food. She felt hopeless and that it was her fault. During this conversation, she revealed that she experienced sexual abuse in her childhood at the hands of her brothers and father. She had repressed the memories, and not told anyone for years. She was still in shock, and stuck in shame.

Emotional trauma, especially in childhood has a strong link to being overweight. Fat is a protector and insulator against unsafe conditions, as well as difficult emotions.

When the body’s capacity to process toxins is overwhelmed, toxins are isolated and stored in fat to protect the rest of the body. In Ayurvedic medicine, the theory is similar: fat is also thought to store emotions. In childhood this capacity to process chemicals, and feelings, is more easily overwhelmed, because they haven’t fully developed.

Studies have shown that when fat and weight is lost quickly, past traumas resurface, which can lead to coping mechanisms like self-harm or rebound binge-eating.

When Elaine confided in me, we did a protection meditation, to help ground her and build compassion and self-love. Over the course of the next few visits, we discussed the feelings associated with her trauma: feeling invaded, afraid and angry. 

Using a technique called Total Body Modification, I found the emotions stored in her body that were connected to her symptoms, using kinesiology muscle testing and allowing for psychosomatic processing of the emotions. 

I also offered the option of further support from IMI’s counselling and psychotherapy team and prescribed her homeopathic remedies to support her emotional health.

Over time, her energy, motivation and weight improved, while she built a new mindset: one where she felt safe, supported and confident.

In summary

Weight loss is not just a physical challenge, it’s an emotional one too. Studies have shown that being overweight is more prevalent among those who struggle with emotional regulation. For kids growing up in volatile households, or for those who experienced trauma - not only in childhood, but adulthood too, food provides a safe, available coping mechanism.  with emotional dysregulation and your emotions influence how your body stores and burns fat.

Food is a common coping mechanism, offering a temporary respite from stress, unhappiness or loneliness. It triggers a release of dopamine, lighting up our pleasure centres. That’s why healthy weight loss and muscle building require understanding, love and patience.

Finding both the emotional and physiological root causes is key to making lasting changes towards a healthy relationship with weight and your body. When you make space for your emotions, and your stressors are addressed, you can truly take charge of your own choices and make decisions to empower your agency.

References
W Gu et al, Association between body fat percentage and depression: a cross-sectional study of NHANES, 2025.
J Fernandes et al, Emotional processing in obesity: a systematic review and exploratory meta-analysis, 2017.
E D Rosen, B M Spiegelman, What we talk about when we talk about fat, 2014.
L Capuron et al, Relationship between adiposity, emotional status and eating behaviour in obese women: role of inflammation, 2010.
S H Boutcher, High-intensity intermittent exercise and fat loss, 2010.
S R El-Zayat et al, Physiological process of fat loss, 2019.
C A Levinson et al, What are the emotions underlying feeling fat and fear of weight gain, 2020.
NeuroLaunch, Belly fat and emotions: the surprising connection between stress and weight gain, 2024.
K D Hall et al, Calorie for calorie, dietary fat restriction results in more body fat loss than carbohydrate restriction in people with obesity, 2015.
D Church et al, Naturally thin you: weight loss and psychological symptoms after a six-week online clinical EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) course, 2018.
D Gallagher et al, Healthy percentage body fat ranges: an approach for developing guidelines based on body mass index, 2000.
M S Mundi et al, Associations between experience of early childhood trauma and impact on obesity status, health, as well as perceptions of obesity-related health care, 2021.