Recipe for Weight Gain: Chronic Stress and Chocolate Ice Cream

November 3, 2009

It’s a familiar image, the frustrated sitcom character upset by her boyfriend’s erratic behavior settles into a comfy couch with a spoon and a half-gallon container of chocolate ice cream. The classic moment always draws audience laughs, but researchers at UC San Francisco have revealed that when it comes to women in real life, dealing with chronic stress, reaching for foods that are high in fat and calories is no laughing matter.

In a study presented at this year’s annual meeting of the Obesity Society, held October 24 through 27 in Washington DC, the UCSF findings were released for the first time. Researchers questioned more than 600 women who were overweight or obese about their eating habits and life stressors.

The researchers found that people who had chronic stress were more likely than other survey participants to say they ate high-fat foods and felt a lack of control over their binge eating of such things as chocolate, ice cream, snack chips, cookies, and cakes. At times, though not as often, their excess eating would extend to fast food restaurants as well.According to the study, the women were categorized as having chronic stress if they had ongoing stressful situations such as being unable to pay their rent or mortgage; feeling stuck in a job they don’t like; having a spouse or partner who expects too much of them or doesn’t understand them; having a child who isn’t doing well in school; or acting as a family caregiver for someone in poor health.

“Chronic stress really taxes people’s ability to self-monitor their eating behavior. In our current environment of abundantly rich food, we need every ounce of conscious effort to manage our eating, because eating is an automatic behavior we can do too easily and too often if we’re not mindful.” says psychologist Elissa Epel, associate professor in the department of psychiatry at UCSF.

Lisa Groesz, the study’s lead author, suggests that people under chronic stress should try to notice the difference between emotional hunger and true physical hunger. By being more mindful of their hunger and stress, they can better regulate when, what, and how much they eat, and keep it more in line with their bodies’ needs.

Clearly if you know that you are going through a stressful period of your life, being aware of this inclination to overeat, and eat far too much of the wrong foods, can only be a help in self-monitoring when you feel the urge to reach for a container of chocolate ice cream and a big spoon!

Posted in Diet & Fitness, Wellness