Written by Amy Nguyen and Edited by Josephine Chan
In times of stress, people have looked towards various outlets in order to relieve their state of tension and unease. Stress eating, defined as the consumption of high amounts of food to relieve feelings of stress or anxiety rather than to satisfy hunger, is an outlet that many have resorted to [1]. When people stress eat, they tend to eat foods that are higher in sugar and fat—comfort foods—as a way to cope during stressful or emotional experiences [2].
When stressed, the body undergoes processes to deal with such experiences. Specifically, the adrenal gland, an organ that produces hormones, creates cortisol, a hormone associated with stress and arousal. As a result, during times of chronic stress, cortisol levels are elevated, causing increased feelings of hunger. This increased appetite can impact the reward pathway, which involves certain regions of the brain that release dopamine, a chemical linked to motivation and reward. Consuming palatable foods, especially those high in sugar and fat, increases dopamine levels throughout the brain, thus leading to a greater desire for more of these kinds of foods [3]. A study was conducted to test the hypothesis that people who react to a stressor with high cortisol levels tend to snack more in comparison to those who react to a stressor with low cortisol levels. Researchers found that when dealing with more daily hassles, the tendency to snack or frequency of snacking increased. However, this direct correlation was only visible in people who reacted to stress with high cortisol levels [4].
Stress can be categorized as acute or chronic. Chronic stress can lead to an excess amount of cortisol, leading to fat deposition in the abdomen as well as insulin resistance [3]. As a result, chronic stress tends to be highly associated with stress eating and obesity. Another recent study aimed to determine whether or not there is a relationship between obesity and stress-induced eating. Researchers found that when exposed to their favorite food and stressful stimuli, obese individuals experienced more activity in the areas of the brain that are involved in the reward pathway. The increased activation of this circuitry is linked to an increase in cravings, which is commonly seen within individuals with obesity [5].
During this time of social distancing and self-quarantine, life may seem out of control and stressful. To make matters worse, there is easier access to food since people are required to stay at home. Alternative ways to cope with stress or anxiety include meditation, exercise, or even communicating with friends and family to maintain a good support system. Furthermore, if people find themselves stress eating, they should look to snack on foods that have a high nutritional content such as fruits, granola bars, or popcorn, as well as be more aware of the amount of food they are eating.
References:
- “Why stress causes people to overeat.” Harvard Health Publishing. Harvard Health. Retrieved April 6, 2020, from https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/why-stress-causes-people-to-overeat
- Torres, S. J., Nowson, C. A. (2007). Relationship between stress, eating behavior, and obesity. Nutrition, 23:887–894.
- Yau, Y. H. C., Potenza, M. N. (2013). Stress and Eating Behaviors. Minerva Endocrinologica, 38:3, 255–267.
- Newman, E., O’Connor, D. B., Conner, M. (2007). Daily hassles and eating behaviour: The role of cortisol reactivity status. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 32:125–132.
- Jastreboff, A. M., Sinha, R., Lacadie, C., Small, D. M., Sherwin, R. S., Potenza, M. N. (2013). Neural Correlates of Stress- and Food Cue–Induced Food Craving in Obesity. Diabetes Care, 36:2, 394–402.