How does stress cause overeating?
Sources:
Stress can lead to overeating through various mechanisms, as explained by and guests on the podcast:
- Stress elevates cravings for comfort food high in fat, sugar, and salt. This is driven by the stress response activating cravings and often leading to an insulin resistant state. People experiencing stress tend to overeat or binge eat as their brains drive them towards these high-calorie foods, contributing to weight gain, especially in the abdominal region 1.
- Chronic stress creates a positive feedback loop that amplifies the stress response. This can lead to an increased consumption of sugar and fat, further causing adverse health effects like type two diabetes and dysfunction in the adrenal output. Managing the stress response by learning to shut it down is beneficial to prevent these negative outcomes 2.
- Different individuals have different responses to stress; some might lose weight, while others are more likely to engage in compulsive eating behaviors in response to stress. These behaviors appear to be a common phenotype in people with obesity, where about 50% exhibit a compulsion towards overeating when stressed 3.
- Short term stress can block hunger by activating the bombesin system which reduces eating, but chronic stress leads to increased hunger for comfort food 4.
Interventions that can help manage stress-induced overeating include:
- Mindful eating: Practicing mindfulness and interceptive awareness can help people with compulsive eating regulate their behaviors better, improving insulin resistance and long-term weight loss 5.
- Positive stress pathways: Engaging in high-intensity interval training or other forms of positive stress can reduce cravings and help with metabolic processing of stress 6.
In summary, managing stress is key to controlling stress-induced overeating, with mindful eating and exercise as helpful strategies.
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