Effects of stress on eating behavior

In this chapter, O’Connor & Conner (2011) discuss the impact of stress on health and eating behavior, including the conflicting associations of stress with increased saturated fat consumption and decreased overall calorie intake. Some studies have linked stress with increased intake of snacks in adults and adolescents, although these results do not completely prove the effect on health. Stress is thought to influence health directly (through autonomic, neuroendocrine, and biological processes) and indirectly through behavior changes. Now there is considerable evidence pointing to the importance of stress-induced eating behavior changes in health outcomes. This review not only highlights the current knowledge on the effects of stress on eating behaviors but also identifies the remaining gaps in research which require addressing in the future. [NPID: stress, saturated fat, snacking, autonomic processes, neuroendocrine, biological processes]

Year: 2011

Reference: O'Connor, D. B., & Conner, M. (2011). Effects of stress on eating behavior. In R. J. Contrada & A. Baum (Eds.), The handbook of stress science: Biology, psychology, and health (p. 275–286). Springer Publishing Company.

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