Chronic-stress reliever is often high-fat foods

WASHINGTON — Many people say they eat more when they are under stress. Others eat less.

But people under chronic stress are more likely than others to say they eat fattening foods and feel that their eating is out of control, according to a study presented at a meeting of the Obesity Society.

In one of the largest surveys ever to examine the relationship between chronic stress and eating behaviors, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco questioned women who were overweight or obese about their eating habits and life stressors.

The researchers found that people who had greater chronic stress were more likely than the other survey participants to say they ate high-fat foods and felt they lacked control over eating and hunger.

Those who were chronically stressed also were more likely to rely on "rigid restraint" to try to control their weight, says psychologist Elissa Epel, associate professor in the department of psychiatry at the UCSF.

source: theadvertiser