Final answer:
General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) is a physiological model that explains how the body responds to stress across three stages: alarm reaction, stage of resistance, and stage of exhaustion, with prolonged stress leading to various health problems.
Step-by-step explanation:
The General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) is a model of how a person responds to stress. Hans Selye's research led to the identification of three stages in this stress response: (1) an alarm reaction, where the body initially reacts to a stressor with a fight-or-flight response; (2) the stage of resistance, wherein the body adapts to the stress if it is not soon relieved; and (3) the stage of exhaustion, where prolonged stress can lead to depletion of the body's resources and potential health problems.
The GAS model is an influential concept in the health field, as it helps to understand how repeated or prolonged stress can contribute to physical diseases such as hypertension and coronary artery disease.