Stress eating and sleep quality have long been associated with each other. People think they are eating extra because of stress but that is a basic misunderstanding. Maybe they are not eating as much as they think, said Dr. Kristin Javaras, an associate psychologist at McLean Hospital in Massachusetts and an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School.
What people know about stress eating is from cultural stereotypes and surveys where people share their eating habits during stressful periods. According to Jarvaras, the problem with these surveys is that people’s perceptions change when they are stressed, making it difficult to accurately describe their behavior. She also added that people may not eat more when they are stressed, although they believe they do because they perceive large amounts.
For example, people often remember eating ice cream after a breakup, but they forget the times they ate less because of stress at work. Many individuals actually eat less when they are in stress, particularly when the situation is severe. Research highlights that about 40% of people overeat when they are stressed, 40% of people eat less and 20% do not change their eating habits. These findings are present in her “Brain & Research Foundation webinar.”
Can Stress Lead to Hunger?
Dr. Christopher McGowan, gastroenterologist and obesity specialist, said that chronic stress raises cortisol levels, increasing appetites and promoting fat storage, especially in the abdominal area. This can also disrupt sleep and provoke cravings and metabolic dysfunction. People often eat comfort foods high in fats and sugar, which release dopamine, proving short-loved relief following by guilt or regrets
He further explained that comfort food may not actually provide comfort as people think it does. A prior study suggested that comfort food does not, on average, reduce stress. The study found no differences in stress levels among healthy women when they replaced unhealthy comfort foods with vegetables and fruits.
How can we avoid overeating?
According to Rachel Gargano, the chief dietitian, eating in response to emotion and the craved food makes stress eating more ingrained. She added that cravings typically last 20 to 30 minutes, and if people can manage the initial intense feeling, they eventually subside and become more manageable.
She suggested that being alone or encountering favorite food can initiate the process and keeping a journal to keep track of cravings to find differences between emotional hunger and physical hunger. This approach will help the people to understand their eating habits and manage them more effectively.
She also recommended that the benefits of replacing stress eating with short bursts of physical activity for long-term well-being. Exercise, for instance, regulates stress responses, reducing cortisol levels, improves sleep and mood and supports physical as well as metabolic health.
Gargano suggests developing an “anti-craving tool kit” that includes:
- Not skipping regular meals
- Getting enough fiber in diet, with men needing 35 grams daily and women about 25 grams
- Getting enough protein everyday, about 30 to 40 grams per meal
- Drink plenty of fluids, aiming for half your weight in ounces per day and add more if it’s hot outside or you’re exercising more than one hour.
- Getting at least seven hours of sleep, but eight is optimal.
Gargano also mentioned that resisting cravings can help retrain the brain to not use food as a coping mechanism. According to Dr. Steinglass, director of research at the Center for Eating Disorders at New York, surveys help understand how stress contributes to eating challenges and disorders. Javaras advises not to be worried about occasional stress eating and to avoid further stress from it.
