Product Description

It's not only food and inactivity that can make you fat in midlife - so can stress. After the age of forty, the accrued stresses of a lifetime and the inevitable onset of the perimenopause begin to take their physical toll on a woman. This toxic stress builds emergency fat inside the body and leads to bad eating regimes, particularly in the over-forties. In Fight Fat After Forty renowned clinician and scientist Dr Pamela Peeke explains her revolutionary plan for fighting stress-eating and shedding 'toxic weight' forever. Reveals that stress makes you fat! Offers a revolutionary three-pronged approach of stress-resilient nutrition, stress-resilient physical activity and stress-resilient 'regrouping' (keeping motivated) Helps you identify your stress profile and eating pattern and offers a healthy eating programme to suit your body. Contains a weekly exercise and stress-reducing programme* Helps you to boost midlife metabolism and lose weight fast

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #84002 in Books
• Published on: 2003-10-30
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Fight Fat After Forty explores the physiological changes that affect women at midlife. If you're a woman over 40, you are undergoing physical and emotional changes, declining metabolism, fat deposits at your waistline, decreased energy, mood swings, food cravings--do we need to continue this list? Now pile on chronic, long-term stress (which the author terms toxic stress), which hits women between 40 and 60 and leads to self-destructive eating behaviour. "Uncontrolled or toxic stress keeps the refuelling appetite on, thus inducing stress eating and weight gain," Peeke explains. The stress triggers are constant, so the body never gets to turn off the stress response. The weight gained from this chronic, toxic stress--toxic weight--settles inside the abdomen and is associated with heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Peeke explains the association between stress and fat gain, and describes the stress/eating cycle ("the itch you can't scratch"). Then she teaches tools for "regrouping": formulating and following a contingency plan of nutrition, exercise, and self-care. Next are suggestions for a nutritional plan tied to stressful times of the day and an explanation of food needs after age 40. In the final chapters, Peeke nudges us to exercise to relieve stress, reduce body fat, and benefit overall health. Peeke is a highly regarded scientist and clinician who studies the link between stress and fat at the National Institutes of Health. She's also Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and works as the Medical Director of the National Race for the Cure for Breast Cancer.--Joan Price

Review
'Fight Fat After Forty explores the physiological changes that affect women at midlife. If you're a woman over 40, you are undergoing physical and emotional changes, declining metabolism, fat deposits at your waistline, decreased energy, mood swings, food cravings--do we need to continue this list? Now pile on chronic, long-term stress (which the author terms toxic stress), which hits women between 40 and 60 and leads to self-destructive eating behaviour. "Uncontrolled or toxic stress keeps the refuelling appetite on, thus inducing stress eating and weight gain," Peeke explains. The stress triggers are constant, so the body never gets to turn off the stress response. The weight gained from this chronic, toxic stress--toxic weight--settles inside the abdomen and is associated with heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Peeke explains the association between stress and fat gain, and describes the stress/eating cycle ("the itch you can't scratch"). Then she teaches tools for "regrouping": formulating and following a contingency plan of nutrition, exercise, and self-care. Next are suggestions for a nutritional plan tied to stressful times of the day and an explanation of food needs after age 40. In the final chapters, Peeke nudges us to exercise to relieve stress, reduce body fat, and benefit overall health. Peeke is a highly regarded scientist and clinician who studies the link between stress and fat at the National Institutes of Health. She's also Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and works as the Medical Director of the National Race for the Cure for Breast Cancer.' - Joan Price, AMAZON.CO.UK REVIEW

About the Author
Dr Pam Peeke MD, MPH devoted three years to investigating the link between stress and fat at the National Institutes of Health as a senior research fellow. She is an internationally recognised expert and speaker in the fields of nutrition and stress as well as the newly evolving field of integrative medicine. She regularly appears as a science and health news commentator and has appeared on Oprah. She is Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the University of Arizona Medical Centre.

Customer Reviews

very good
A very helpful book. In common with many of my friends the weight started piling on when I was in my mid-forties and it has been hard to get rid of it. this book shows that it is not easy to do tht but explains what cuases the problem and suggests helpful ways of thinking differently about food and diet. I have already lost a few pounds since putting Pamela's ideas into practice and am gradually changingmy eating patterns. Well worth reading.

Not just for the over forties!
As a 36 year old working mother of 3 I have always been slim. During a particularly stressful year the pounds piled on and now I know why! This is a book which explains the science behind the 3pm chocolate cravings and gives strategies to cope at vulnerable times. It is NOT a diet book since depriving oneself of the foods we love is positively forbidden! However, the eating patterns suggested prevent those awful cravings and the constant afternoon and evening snacking that follows. The whole book oozes common sense. Read it - you'll find yourself described in very accurate detail together with excellent advice on the changes needed for a healthier life.

Every woman who's ever been on a diet should read this book!
An eye-opening read, this book explains why so many women over 40 put on weight, how their body shape changes, and just why these changes are so life threatening. With detailed explanations which manage not to patronise, Dr Peeke takes the reader through the emotional and physical reasons why stress is such a major factor in making and keeping women overweight. With sound advice backed up by case-histories, the book explains how you can alter your eating habits, increase your exercise and - most importantly - forgive yourself and get back on track when it all goes (temporarily) pear-shaped!! I've only had the book a short time but I've followed many of the suggestions and feel better and healthier already.