Stress-Related Eating and Drinking Behavior and Body Mass Index and Predictors of This Behavior (original) (raw)

2002, Preventive Medicine

Background. Earlier studies on stress and obesity have not considered coping in situations involving Stress and emotions have been found to affect food stress. This study examines the associations between intake and body weight [1-5]. Stress can be defined as stress-related eating and drinking and obesity and the an unpleasant nonspecific arousal state [6,7]. It is not factors predicting this behavior. Predictive factors stress itself that has unfavorable consequences for the include risk factors for adult obesity, longitudinal individual, but failure to cope effectively in stressful socioeconomic status, and perceived social support. situations, i.e., to manage stress successfully [8]. Ways Methods. A longitudinal, population-based study of of coping in stressful situations have been taken into 2,359 men and 2,791 women born in 1966 in Northern account in only a few studies on obesity [1]. Stress-Finland was conducted. related eating and drinking occur when people attempt Results. The body mass index at 31 years was highest to make themselves feel better by eating or drinking among stress-driven eaters and drinkers, especially in stressful situations [1,5,9,10] and they may thus be among women. Stress-driven eaters tended to eat connected to the development of obesity. It has been sausages, hamburgers and pizza, and chocolate more suggested that coping in stressful situations is associfrequently than other people. Stress-driven eaters conated with eating disorders [2], especially with binges, sumed more alcohol than other people. The best prei.e., times of uninhibited or excessive eating and drinkdictors of stress-related eating and drinking among ing [11,12], and that this can be related to obesity [13]. men age 31 years were being single or divorced, a long Trying to reduce stress by such activities as eating, history of unemployment, an academic degree, and a drinking, or exercising can be considered so-called low level of occupational education. Among women, emotion-focused coping, which means trying to avoid the best predictor was a lack of emotional support. the problem causing stress and/or the emotions con-Conclusion. Programs aimed at preventing and treatnected to it (e.g., "I went on as if nothing had haping obesity should cover the way in which people deal pened"). with emotions, ways of achieving greater emotional The predictors of stress-related eating or drinking support, and strategies for handling stress caused by are still unknown despite the fact that the development unemployment or work. ᭧ 2002 American Health Foundation and of eating disorders has been studied quite intensively Elsevier Science