Table of contents:
- The relationship between stress and eating behavior
- How can stress change your eating behavior?
- The body's response to acute stress
- The body's response to chronic stress
- Stress can also affect eating choices
- Conclusion
Are you the type of person who likes to eat when you are stressed, or just lose your appetite when you have lots of thoughts? Indeed, eating behavior when stressed can change in many ways. Each individual has their own way of responding to the stress they experience. However, most individuals respond to stress by eating more than usual. How did it happen?
The relationship between stress and eating behavior
Many studies have shown a link between stress and diet. In times of stress, people usually look for foods that are high in calories or high in fat. In fact, when you are stressed, your body can also store more fat. Thus, stress, increased food intake, and more fat storage can cause you to be overweight.
Many adults report that they are the type of people who eat when they are stressed, aka eating more or eating more unhealthy foods when they feel stressed. According to him, eating behavior like this makes him more able to deal with the stress he feels. Others also reported eating to help manage stress. Apparently, stress is very influential on your eating behavior, from your appetite to eat, the amount of food you take, to your food choices.
Stress can disturb the balance in the body. Thus, the body will react to stress to restore its balance by producing a physiological response. One of the body's balance that is disturbed when you are stressed is the physiology of the body which is related to food intake.
How can stress change your eating behavior?
A person's eating behavior can change in response to stress. This depends on how much stress you are feeling. There are two types of stress, namely:
- Acute stress, where the stress is transient - for a short period of time. For example, stress due to congestion on the road. You can easily handle this stress.
- Chronic stress, when you have a big problem that concerns your life and is more difficult for you to handle. This stress can last longer.
The body's response to acute stress
When you are experiencing acute stress, the medullary part of the brain signals the release of several stress hormones, such as epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline) from the adrenal glands. These hormones then trigger a "fight-or-flight" response, such as an increase in heart rate, respiration, breakdown of fats and carbohydrates, and blood pressure. At the same time, the body slows down its physiological activities, such as blood flow to the digestive system, appetite and food intake. So, in times of acute stress, you are more likely to lose your appetite.
The body's response to chronic stress
When your body is chronically stressed, the hypothalamus (the center of the brain that controls stress) orders the pituitary gland to release the hormone adenocorticotropin (ACTH) into the adrenal cortex. If chronic stress is severe and lasts long enough, it can cause the hormone cortisol to increase, which stimulates appetite during periods of recovery from chronic stress. Therefore, in a person with severe stress, his appetite will increase so that he eats more, he will see food as an object that can give him peace.
Cortisol with the help of insulin (with higher levels) can also activate the enzyme lipoprotein lipase and inhibit the breakdown of triglycerides which can cause more fat reserves. Chronic stress has been shown to increase the accumulation of belly fat in women. So, when you are chronically stressed, your body is more likely to store more fat, in addition to your increased appetite. So, your weight gain or obesity will overshadow you.
Stress can also affect eating choices
Stress also seems to influence your eating choices. In times of stress, you are more likely to choose foods with a high calorie content, so this can also contribute to weight gain in times of stress. Foods that are high in fat and / or sugar may provide special pleasure for people who are dealing with stress.
High levels of the hormone cortisol combined with high insulin may play a role in this dietary choice. Other studies have shown that ghrelin (the hormone that triggers hunger) can cause this. Another theory also suggests that fat and sugar appear to have an effect that can inhibit the activity of the parts of the brain that produce and process stress.
Conclusion
So, stress can affect your eating behavior in two ways. A minority of you may lose their appetite when under stress for a short period of time. Meanwhile, most individuals will respond to stress by increasing their food intake during severe stress.
Research by Dallman (2005) shows that overweight individuals tend to eat more when under chronic stress than individuals who are normal or underweight. Other research has shown that people who are dieting or who refrain from eating frequently are more likely to eat more when they are stressed than people who do not diet or do not limit their food intake.
