Stress Leads to Comfort Eating

Oct. 11 -- When stress levels are constant, unhealthy eating habits can easily run amok. Feeling stressed by uncertainty and threats of further terrorism, many Americans are finding themselves eating for comfort instead of nutrition.

Gooey hot fudge sundaes, warm apple pies, and fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies can take the edge off the persistent stress and uncertainty that are lingering reminders of the Sept. 11 attacks.

"I have most definitely seen altered eating habits in my practice first-hand," says Lisa Tartamella, ambulatory nutrition coordinator at Yale-New Haven Hospital. "Many of my patients outright admit that they are eating more because it has been a way of dealing with stress, anxiety, and anger. In this unstable environment, food is a source of immediate comfort."

Even among those who are not actively trying to lose weight or maintain weight-loss, eating to relieve stress is common.

Edible Tranquilizers

Experts say that people who reach for food in response to stress do so as a means of self-medicating.

"When the right kinds of foods are eaten, they act like an edible tranquilizer," says Dr. Judith Wurtman, director of the TRIAD Weight Management Center at McClean Hospital in Massachusetts.

Foods that are rich in carbohydrates increase levels of serotonin in the brain, and serotonin minimizes symptoms of stress.

"People are reaching for cookies and bagels, not broiled chicken and cottage cheese, when they are stressed," says Wurtman.

Interestingly, Wurtman believes that people whose diets are already low in carbohydrates, such as those on the Atkins or The Zone diet, may be having an even harder time right now.

"Diets that are low in carbohydrates cause a depletion of brain serotonin," adds Wurtman. And low serotonin levels are themselves associated with increased insomnia, tension and anxiety. Add current levels of persistent uncertainty, and you have a recipe for high stress.

Knowing When to Stop

If you have concerns about your eating habits and you know that you are prone to eat more when you are stressed, there are some tips that experts recommend to help you keep control: