Washington, July 8 - Beware, even worrying about paying bills could turn you into a blob of fat, according to a new study.

The study is one of the first to examine the link between weight gain and multiple types of stress - job-related demands, difficulty paying bills, strained family ties, depression or anxiety disorder - in the US population.

'Today's economy is stressing people out, and stress has been linked to heart disease, high blood pressure and increased risk for cancer. This study shows that stress is also linked to weight gain,' said Jason Block, who conducted the study at Harvard University.

Women's waistlines are affected by more types of stress, according to the study. 'In addition to weight gain associated with financial problems or a difficult job, women also added pounds when grappling with strained family relationships and feeling limited by life's circumstances.'

For men, the numbers on the scale did not go up when facing difficult family relationships or feeling constrained by life circumstances.