KEEP CALM, EAT LESS

Researchers recently unmasked two of anxiety's hidden harmful effects: It keeps heart-damaging fats circulating longer in your bloodstream, and it may be a key force driving those who overeat at night. Blood tests of 70 volunteers (age 40 to 61) showed that triglycerides (blood fats associated with heart attacks and stroke) stayed in the bloodstream about 15% longer when participants were stressed, says researcher Catherine M. Stoney, PhD, professor of psychology at Ohio State University. "This happened to everyone we tested."