COMFORT FOOD
"When Im in trouble, eating is the only thing that comforts me"
- Oscar Wilde
- Oscar Wilde
ABOUT COMFORT FOOD
COMFORT FOOD AND STRESS
According to scientists, the symptoms of chronic stress can be relieved through comfort eating. Apparently, the human body has a biological mechanism that causes a craving for fatty and sugary foods at times of high stress. Consumption of such food effectively blocks the cause of chronic stress and anxiety, which is why when people suffer from these symptoms they often turn to such eating habits for conciliation.
Indeed, in the wake of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington on September 11th 2001, a survey was conducted by the American Institute for Cancer Research. This survey discovered that, during the two months following these terrible events, approximately 20% of Americans had made unhealthy alterations to their diets. That is, to cope with the grief, stress and anxiety of 9/11 many people turned to comfort eating for solace.
What this suggests, then, is that certain people are more acutely affected by traumatic incidents and, throughout the subsequent aftermath, the propensity for turning to the soothing effects of feel good food increases. This, however, can prove to be quite unhealthy due to a greater intake of fat and calories - especially if there is a long-term dependency on such consumption. Dieticians recommend that comfort eating at times of stress should be kept at moderate levels and should also work in conjunction with exercise and various relaxation techniques.
Indeed, in the wake of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington on September 11th 2001, a survey was conducted by the American Institute for Cancer Research. This survey discovered that, during the two months following these terrible events, approximately 20% of Americans had made unhealthy alterations to their diets. That is, to cope with the grief, stress and anxiety of 9/11 many people turned to comfort eating for solace.
What this suggests, then, is that certain people are more acutely affected by traumatic incidents and, throughout the subsequent aftermath, the propensity for turning to the soothing effects of feel good food increases. This, however, can prove to be quite unhealthy due to a greater intake of fat and calories - especially if there is a long-term dependency on such consumption. Dieticians recommend that comfort eating at times of stress should be kept at moderate levels and should also work in conjunction with exercise and various relaxation techniques.