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Some people get throbbing headaches, others neck pain. Some are plagued by a short temper or a short attention span. And some grab—and eat—an entire box of cookies, or they binge on anything in the fridge. These are some of the classic signs of too much stress, according to the American Psychological Association (APA). Fatigue, jitters, nausea, chest pain, a rapid heartbeat, too many colds—the list of potential stress symptoms is long and personal.

The good and the bad

Stress isn’t always a bad thing. In fact, a little stress makes life interesting. It kicks the body into gear to get stuff done, and it helps us overcome our fears.

But chronic stress—that is, relentless stress that beats up the body over hours, weeks or months—can take a big toll physically, professionally and emotionally.

The role that stress plays in certain diseases isn’t always clear, but medical professionals agree it’s often a signifcant contributing factor. Take obesity, for example, which boosts your chances of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, sleep disorders and many other conditions. “Emotional stress is a common reason people give for overeating, so obviously it’s an important factor when looking at the causes and treatment of obesity,” says Sara Hunt, PhD, a psychologist with the Oregon Bariatric Center at Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend. “Reducing stress is right up there with physical activity and eating healthy foods in any effective weight-loss plan.”

Richard Padgett, MD, executive medical director of the Oregon Heart & Vascular Institute