WHY STRESS
CAUSES PEOPLE TO OVEREAT
Stress eating can ruin your weight loss goals – the key is
to find ways to relieve stress without overeating
Harvard Mental Health Letter
Updated: July 18, 2018
Published: February, 2012
There
is much truth behind the phrase "stress eating." Stress, the hormones
it unleashes, and the effects of high-fat, sugary "comfort foods"
push people toward overeating. Researchers have linked weight gain to stress,
and according to an American Psychological Association survey, about one-fourth
of Americans rate their stress level as 8 or more on a 10-point scale.
In
the short term, stress can shut down appetite. The nervous system sends
messages to the adrenal glands atop the kidneys to pump out the hormone
epinephrine (also known as adrenaline). Epinephrine helps trigger the body's
fight-or-flight response, a revved-up physiological state that temporarily puts
eating on hold.
But
if stress persists, it's a different story. The adrenal glands release another
hormone called cortisol, and cortisol increases appetite and may also ramp up
motivation in general, including the motivation to eat. Once a stressful
episode is over, cortisol levels should fall, but if the stress doesn't go away
— or if a person's stress response gets stuck in the "on" position —
cortisol may stay elevated.
Stress eating, hormones and hunger
Stress
also seems to affect food preferences. Numerous studies — granted, many of them
in animals — have shown that physical or emotional distress increases the
intake of food high in fat, sugar, or both. High cortisol levels, in
combination with high insulin levels, may be responsible. Other research
suggests that ghrelin, a "hunger hormone," may have a role.
Once
ingested, fat- and sugar-filled foods seem to have a feedback effect
that dampens stress related responses and emotions. These foods really are
"comfort" foods in that they seem to counteract stress — and this may
contribute to people's stress-induced craving for those foods.
Of
course, overeating isn't the only stress-related behaviour that can add pounds.
Stressed people also lose sleep, exercise less, and drink more alcohol, all of
which can contribute to excess weight.
Why do people stress eat?
Some
research suggests a gender difference in stress-coping behaviour, with women
being more likely to turn to food and men to alcohol or smoking. And a Finnish
study that included over 5,000 men and women showed that obesity was associated
with stress-related eating in women but not in men.
Harvard
researchers have reported that stress from work and other sorts of problems
correlates with weight gain, but only in those who were overweight at the
beginning of the study period. One theory is that overweight people have
elevated insulin levels, and stress-related weight gain is more likely to occur
in the presence of high insulin.
How
much cortisol people produce in response to stress may also factor into the
stress–weight gain equation. In 2007, British researchers designed an ingenious
study that showed that people who responded to stress with high cortisol levels
in an experimental setting were more likely to snack in response to daily
hassles in their regular lives than low-cortisol responders.
How to relieve stress without
overeating
When
stress affects someone's appetite and waistline, the individual can forestall
further weight gain by ridding the refrigerator and cupboards of high-fat,
sugary foods. Keeping those "comfort foods" handy is just inviting
trouble.
Here
are some other suggestions for countering stress:
Meditation. Countless
studies show that meditation reduces stress, although much of the research has
focused on high blood pressure and heart disease. Meditation may also help
people become more mindful of food choices. With practice, a person may be
able to pay better attention to the impulse to grab a fat- and sugar-loaded
comfort food and inhibit the impulse.
Exercise. While
cortisol levels vary depending on the intensity and duration of exercise,
overall exercise can blunt some of the negative effects of stress. Some
activities, such as yoga and tai chi, have elements of both exercise and
meditation.
Social support. Friends,
family, and other sources of social support seem to have a buffering effect on
the stress that people experience. For example, research suggests that people
working in stressful situations, like hospital emergency departments, have
better mental health if they have adequate social support. But even people who
live and work in situations where the stakes aren't as high need help from time
to time from friends and family.
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