“If you’re sleep deprived,” McEwen explains, “blood pressure and cortisol don’t go down at night like they should.” McEwen sees people who work night shifts as a window into what chronic stress does to the body over time. “They’re more likely to become obese and to have diabetes, cardiovascular disease and depression,” he says.
People who are stressed out tend to do other things that make their body less healthy and more vulnerable to the effects of stress. Many eat more fatty comfort foods, which can lead to obesity and diabetes. They may smoke or drink more, raising the risk for cancer and other diseases. And they often feel they’re just too busy to exercise.
Seeman says, “Being physically active helps keep the body’s systems in better shape and thus better able to deal with any demands from other stressful conditions.”