Why Does Stress Make You Overeat?
By Elina Falck on September 20th, 2017 in Stress.
- Do you crave chocolate at the end of a long day?
- Does an argument with your spouse make you reach for the potato chips?
- If you have made a major mistake, do you stuff yourself with sweet things?
- If you’ve experienced a loss, like the end of a relationship, do you search the fridge for “comfort food”?
Eating in response to emotional stressors is called, not surprisingly, stress eating.
If you reach for food at moments of difficulty, you are not alone. You are also not some kind of out-of-control glutton.
Instead, you are responding to a biological cue. Your body is telling you it is running out of stress chemicals, and needs to be replenished.
Let me explain.