What Kind of “Stress Eater” are YOU?

Most of us realize that stress changes our eating behaviors…but exactly how does it affect us differently? Some of us lose our appetites entirely, others binge on everything we can get our hands on, and some “diet” but happen to consume more than most of us while nibbling all day. If stress is the reason for the disordered eating, then why do we respond so differently to being overloaded? It is because there are two distinct levels of stress that result in two opposing types of eaters. By learning a little bit about how the body responds to stress, you’ll be able to see which kind of stress you are likely dealing with AND what is causing your type of stress eating habits!

It Starts in the Brain…

During the first 15 seconds of stress, our brains release CRH and ACTH that suppress appetite and prepare the body to release glucocorticoids. This is because when we are freaked out about ANYTHING real or imagined, the last thing our bodies need is to be thinking about food, sex, or anything else that would prevent us from getting out of the stressful situation we’ve found ourselves in. Digestion has slowed to a halt…0ur heart rate and blood pressure have increased…and we are now primed to tackle whatever is coming at us. Don’t feel like eating much? Well, that means your brain is prioritizing getting through the perceived stress instead of taking care of processes that keep you healthy long term. It happens to all of us at some point or another, but it shouldn’t be a constant. When these triggers happen too often, that’s when disordered eating occurs, and the next two sections explain how that is.

Hyperphagic (Over) Eaters

This group makes up approximately 2/3 of those included in stress eating habit studies (Sapolsky, p.71), and it appears that we’ve figured out why! Directly after the brain releases the “get out of here” hormones mentioned previously, the next minutes to hours involve the adrenal glands releasing glucocorticoids (cortisol and other longer term stress hormones) that signal the body to break down stored energy for immediate use to the brain and other tissues. We have evolved this response to stress, like most other mammals, to supply our active muscles and organs during emergency situations with the energy they need to get us through or out of danger (i.e. “fight or flight”). So what happens after the boss leaves the room, we are done watching a scary movie, or any other stress that’s stimulated this response has gone away? Our bodies immediately begin their recovery process of increasing nutrient absorption and sugar storage. Even though the original brain-level hormones suppressed our appetites, these glucocorticoids have a longer lasting effect of INCREASING appetite…and it’s not for broccoli. With these hormones still pulsing through our bodies, we typically crave higher energy, faster digesting “feel good” foods. Therefore, in “acute” stress-inducing situations, we have a tendency to quickly shift from lacking an appetite to craving all of the wrong foods. Repeat this cycle frequently enough and you end up eating way more calories of the bad stuff because of the hunger-inducing effects of glucocorticoids.

Hypophagic (Under) Eaters

While only about 1/3 of those in the stress-eating studies fall into this category (Sapolsky, p. 72), it happens to more people than one would think. All of the above signaling processes still happen with this group, but the difference is that instead of the brain-level hormones (CRH and ACTH) quickly dropping back down after the stressor has gone away, they remain high due to “chronic” stress. Situations like losing a job, planning a wedding, or trying to cope with irregular schedules in a pandemic all fit in here. When both brain-level hormones and body-level hormones (glucocorticoids) remain high in circulation, appetite tends to remain DECREASED and all of those healthy habits you’ve been sticking to start going out the window. You’ll tend to start exhibiting “rewarding” behaviors like binging reruns of mindless television or garbage takeout food because “being healthy” or “productive” just feels like too much work. So in this scenario we won’t eat nearly as much as we are supposed to, and when we DO eat it isn’t going to be enough nutrition to accomplish our health goals. People always think I’m crazy when I perform a Health Atlas and usually recommend how much MORE they should be eating to accomplish their health goals. But HOW? Because most people have waited until their stress-response has become compromised and nearly EVERYTHING that they are trying to deal with is being perceived as a non-stop assault on their physiology. That’s how we end up with hypophagic eating habits.

Summary

So here we are. About 2/3 of report consciously restricting our caloric intake to improve our health (Sapolsky, p.75) because we’ve been convinced overeating was the cause of our health maladies…but they never told us why. Now you have the knowledge to recognize how stress tells us we aren’t hungry, how it sneakily sabotages our efforts to eat healthy, and then derails the habits we’ve worked so hard to put in place! Not only that, but when we have endured chronic stress, we start finding diet programs that give us permission to continue with our disordered eating. For those that always skip breakfast, “intermittent fasting” becomes enticing. For those that are so stressed that food never sounds good, fasting for even longer then becomes their answer. Though these dietary extremes sound like simple fixes, we need to remember that our long term dietary plan should be one that is personalized to our goals and physiological needs…not just a lazy surrender to our stress response’s schemes.

This information can empower you to check yourself when stress tries to get the best of you. When you know it’s time to eat, but you aren’t hungry…still eat something. When the only thing that sounds good is laying in front of the tv and killing a quart of Ben & Jerry’s…realize it’s the stress talking and eat a meal you know the rest of your body will appreciate! Our stress response is there for a reason, but we don’t have to let it prevent us from continuing to move forward on our health journey.

The Oracle

Reference:

Sapolsky, R. M. (2004). Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers: The Acclaimed Guide to Stress, Stress-Related Diseases, and Coping, 3rd Edition (3rd ed.). Holt Paperbacks. p. 71-76