When the body is under threat or high levels of stress, the so-called 'flight or fight' reaction kicks in. A rush of adrenaline drives blood to the brain, heart and muscles and away from the digestive system in preparation to run or to fight. This state should make people unable to eat and even make them feel sick, but research shows that for some people, stress is a major trigger to eat and that they actually eat more when they are stressed, not less.

So Why Does This Happen?

Studies have shown that people who constantly try to follow rigid diets tend to eat more in stressful situations. When following a strict diet, people override their hunger signals and have restraint when eating. On the other hand, people who eat according to their appetite, eat in an unrestrained way. Studies have repeatedly shown that restrained eaters tend to eat more in response to stress whereas unrestrained eaters tend to eat less. Generally, people who eat when they are hungry and stop when they are full are more in touch with their biological messages. These are the people who mostly do not feel like eating food when they are stressed.

What Should You Do If You're A Stress-Eater?

Firstly, you need to identify which particular emotional and psychological triggers drive you straight to the fridge and trigger overeating. Then you should plan and follow alternative ways to cope with the stress when these triggers occur such as going for a walk or listening to music or reading. These alternatives should help you to avoid defaulting to eating.

This is one of the reasons why it's important that weight management approaches reduce dietary restraint and rather emphasise high intakes of low energy, nutrient-dense foods.