IMPACT OF STRESS ON NUTRITION AND PRODUCTIVITY (A STUDY OF SOUTHERN CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA)

ABSTRACT

Stress is any action or activity that threatens the homeostatic stability of an organism or any response of the body to demands made upon it. It is usually produced by responses to a specific stressor. Stress has been implicated in a wide array of medical illnesses including nutritional disorders. The study is aimed at investigating the effect of stress on nutrition and productivity in Southern Cross River State, Nigeria. Random sampling measures are adopted to survey seven (7) Local Government Areas that constitute southern senatorial district in Cross River and respondents cut across Civil servants, Public servants, Business men, Students, Academic and Administrative staff of schools. Results reveal effects of stress on nutrition is wide ranging, affecting different aspects of our nutrition from food intake to food handling and indirectly by providing an environment for diseases which influence productivity. Stress may induce unhealthy eating habits which includes increasing the desire for certain diets. It also places many metabolic demands on the body and thus may alter the body’s metabolism. Multiple stressors have been found to cause increased catabolism and protein loss. It is recommended that in managing stress and nutritional disorders, a multidisciplinary approach involving professionals from various fields in medical practice should be adopted. The most appropriate management of stress disorders is the elimination of the stressor but where this approach is not feasible or has previously failed other methods to assist the individual cope with the stress can be adopted.
KEYWORDS: Stress, Nutritional Disorders, Productivity.

The growing nature of competition in today’s workplace environment and its attendant consequences overtime has been alarming. This scenario brings adverse psychological, physical and health effects which hampers nutrition and productivity. Some of these demands could arise from inflexibility in working hours, excessive workload and multi-tasking, unfair performance evaluation, poor reward system, and pressures from clients etc.

Stress has become a household name and manifests in various ways beginning from the home front, work place and social circles. For instance, the inability of parents to meet up with school demands of their wards and other obligations can lead to stress. Also, inability of students to cope with academic requirements and peer pressure leads to stress. Stress can sometimes enhance work and achievement but it brings adverse effects when it becomes chronic and forms part of one’s lifestyle. Some of the major symptoms of stress are anxiety, shallow breathing, muscle tension and fatigue, chronic headaches, mood swings, anger management issues, memory problems, and increased blood pressure etc.

Family Services Employee Assistance Program (FSEAP, 2013) reveals that this development leads to lack of concentration and time and as a consequence, victims can sometimes forget to eat breakfast or resort to coffee, fast food and then rush to work probably without eating throughout the working hours. This development could sometimes repeat the next day and goes on and on.
When an individual is subjected to stress, his or her body releases …