Stress Eating Science
Stress happens. And sometimes we turn to food for comfort. Sometimes it’s intentional, a deliberate salve for the wounds of the day, but often stress-eating is actually accidental. We just suddenly realize one day that that we’re 5 pounds overweight, slightly addicted to sugar, can’t recall the last vegetable eaten, and having chronic GI distress. Stress leads to overeating and making less healthful food choices. In the long-term, these things make us feel terrible. But in the short-term, they comfort us. Why does stress eating feel good? How do we stop the cycle?
I created a video on the science of stress eating in the summer of 2020 as part of my Thinking About Thinking Series for the Science Museum of Virginia, and recently rewatched it. While some of the stressors I reference in the video are specific to the early phases of the covid pandemic, the key points I researched then are the same now. I’ll share them with you here!
Why do we overeat when stressed? Research (as well as anecdotal evidence!) shows that 2/3 of people overeat during times of stress, but why?
Eating is distracting. The act of eating diverts our attention from self-awareness and negative feelings. It takes us to another place mentally and emotionally. (btw- this is the same reason that we watch shows or other entertainment to pull our attention away from feeling lousy about our day)
Eating boosts positive feelings. The neurochemistry of happiness is triggered by the multisensory experience of eating. Tasting, chewing, feeling full, and other food associated experiences all cause the release of dopamine and other positive neurochemicals - lighting up the pleasure pathways of the brain. We can intensify feelings of pleasure by choosing particularly delicious foods or foods that are nostalgic or remind us of better times.
Eating is relaxing. Eating physically triggers the sensation of relaxation by engaging the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the “rest-and-digest” half of the autonomic nervous system. (The other half, the sympathetic nervous system, gets a lot more fanfare for controlling your “fight-or-flight” response.) When we eat and start the digestive processes, it can actually flip off the “fight-or-flight” response and reroute your physiology to temporarily change blood pressure, heart rate, and other bodily responses.
Why do we reach for unhealthy foods when stressed?
When stressed, people choose more high fat and high sugar snacks. They also decrease their consumption of main meals and decrease their vegetable intake. This isn’t surprising, but it’s interesting because of how many research studies support it.
The reason why is that some foods are actually mood altering! Carbohydrate-rich foods (high sugar snacks, low in protein) can actually change your response to stress and may even alter your serotonin levels and have anti-depressant effect.
There’s so much more to discuss and discover about why carbohydrates are our love language in times of distress that you can count on another blog from me soon on this one!
So how do we stay healthy during stressful times?!
Eat regularly and eat a well balanced diet. This will prevent mood swings and “hanger”, as well as support decision making. Once you get overly hungry, it’s much harder for your brain to make healthy choices.
Fill your fridge with your favorite healthy snacks that are easy to snack on. Invest a bit of time to organize those snacks into easy to grab portions, so that you remove the barrier to eating healthy.
Remove temptation from places you spend a lot of time. Make it harder to access your favorite treat foods. This is a behavioral intervention to slow down your thinking and help you make more mindful choices.
If you feel that your anxiety is too high and you’re having trouble controlling it, contact a health professional.
Deal with stress. Work on stress management techniques and develop new ones. Looking for new active coping strategies? I’m here for you!
Stress happens. Eating may be a coping mechanism you use regularly. It’s fairly common to do so. But it can get in the way of your overall health and wellness goals. If you identify this, it may be a great time to explore new stress management techniques to add to your toolkit.
