By Steve Infanti
Scripps Howard News Service Q: My daughter snacks on what I think are very unhealthy foods. She tells me that she only eats that way when she is feeling large amounts of stress. I think that excuse is just a crutch. What do you think? A: It is not uncommon for people under stress to snack. Have you ever toured a newsroom at deadline? "There is increasing evidence that stress may affect health not only through its direct biological effects but also through changes in behaviors that influence health," says Dr. Jane Wardle of the department of epidemiology and public health at University College in London. Previous research suggests certain individuals may be particularly vulnerable to patterns of unhealthy eating: people who typically restrain themselves around food (restrained eaters) and those who tend to find relief from emotional stress through eating (emotional eaters). These behaviors are more common among women than men, says Wardle, who recently measured the eating attitudes and food preferences of 68 male and female study participants. The researchers placed participants randomly into one of two groups: stressed or unstressed. Those in the stressed group were given 10 minutes to prepare a 4-minute speech that they were told they had to deliver after lunch. The unstressed group listened to a short, neutral-toned presentation before the meal. When researchers analyzed the food choices of study participants during lunch, they found emotional eaters in the stressed group ate more sweet, high-fat, energy-dense foods -- such as cake and chocolate biscuits -- than unstressed and nonemotional eaters. "These results are particularly important because the increased eating is confined to certain foods, especially those that current health recommendations suggest should be limited," said Wardle. For the other study participants, including those with high scores on dietary restraint, stress did not have a significant effect on food choices or quantity of food consumed. The study results appear in the November/December issue of Psychosomatic Medicine. One possibility why emotional eating tendencies develop is that carbohydrate-rich/protein-poor foods may influence the actions of brain chemicals known to affect mood, like serotonin. Stress-prone individuals may unconsciously learn to choose such foods as a stress-coping mechanism, according the study. (Send questions about health, fitness or nutrition to Steve Infanti, A Fit Life, 216 Henderson Bld., University Park, Pa., 16802, or e-mail to SCInfanti@compuserve.com.) (Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.shns.com)
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