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Harvard Health Letters
High-Fat, Sugary 'Comfort Foods' May Ease Jangled Nerves, But Add Pounds
Harvard Health Letters
It's been another hectic day. On impulse, you grab an extra-large candy bar during your afternoon break. You plan to take just a few bites, but before you know it, you've polished off the whole thing -- and, at least temporarily, you may feel better.
Rest assured, you're not alone. 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
EFFECTS ON APPETITE
In the short term, stress can shut down an appetite. A structure in the brain called the hypothalamus releases corticotropin-releasing hormone, which suppresses appetite. The brain also 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 -- or is perceived as persisting -- 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.
FAT AND SUGAR CRAVINGS
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 inhibits activity in the parts of the brain that produce and process stress and related emotions. So part of our stress-induced craving for those foods may be that they counteract stress. And, as Mary Dallman, a
Of course, overeating isn't the only stress-related behavior that can add pounds. Stressed people lose sleep, exercise less, and drink more alcohol, all of which can contribute to becoming overweight.
DIFFERENT RESPONSE
Some research suggests a gender difference in stress-coping behavior, with women being more likely to turn to food and men to alcohol or smoking. 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. Other research has shown that high stress levels lead to weight gain in both women and men, but the effect is typically greater in men.
How much cortisol people produce in response to stress may also factor into the stress-weight gain equation. Several years ago, 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.
STEPS YOU CAN TAKE
If stress seems to be affecting your appetite and bulging your waistline, one simple step you can take is to ban high-fat, sugary foods from your refrigerator and cupboards. Keeping those "comfort foods" handy is just inviting trouble.
Stress reduction is a growth industry these days. There are dozens of things to try. Here are three suggestions:
1. Meditate.
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 you be 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.
2. Exercise more.
Intense exercise increases cortisol levels temporarily, but low-intensity exercise seems to reduce them.
3. Visit with friends.
Social support seems to have a buffering effect on the stress people experience. For example, researchers have found that the mental health of people working in stressful situations, like hospital emergency departments, is better if they receive it. But even those of us who live and work in situations where the stakes aren't as high will, as Lennon and McCartney suggested, be better off if we get a little help from our friends. - Harvard Health Letter
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Health - Stress and Overeating: Comfort Foods Ease Nerves, But Add Pounds