Recession-related stress could lead to unhealthy eating

NEW YORK — Leslie Fuller tried to stick to her shopping list on a recent grocery run. Instead, she found herself venturing down the candy aisle, throwing bags of Hershey’s Miniatures and M&M’s into her cart.

"I should just put them down on the seat and sit on them,” said Fuller, a paralegal in Las Vegas.

"That’s where they’re going to go — on my behind. I eat them because it makes me feel better.”

Tough times mean tighter belts, and for many people, tighter pants as they turn to fatty, sugary comfort food to deal with recession-related stress.

Fuller, 51, recently lost her house to foreclosure through no fault of her own. She lost some of her husband’s income because of a pay cut.

She lost her savings, which the couple used for moving expenses. And she recently put one of her dogs to sleep and is having foot surgery next month.

Denise Lamothe, an emotional eating expert and clinical psychologist in Exeter, N.H., said research indicates that more than half the population eats more when stressed. She’s seeing patients who were losing weight before financial trouble hit but are now eating more.

"As the economy has faltered, people have become more and more anxious, more and more fearful,” said Lamothe, author of "The Taming of the Chew.” "The more intense feelings become, the more people will turn to sugar, fat and salt, because that’s where they can get some relief.”


Good for the wallet may mean bad for you
Fattening food is also cheaper per calorie than fruits and vegetables, said Linda Hlivka, co-author of "Stress Eater Diet.” McDonald’s, with its value menu, has benefited from the economic slump while sit-down competitors report steep declines.
With so many people out of work, it becomes easy to snack all day to fill the time, said Leslie Seppinni, a psychotherapist in Beverly Hills, Calif, adding that women are more likely than men to binge due to stress.


Stress eating generally follows a lifelong pattern, and most people will stress eat from time to time, depending on how bad it is and how long it lasts.

While there are lots of stressors that people will face throughout their lives, whether it’s the death of a loved one or divorce, financial worries are a huge trigger for overeating, said Hlivka. Not being able to pay bills, find work or support a family, watching savings shrink. All hit home daily, she said.

"It’s a mindless satisfaction that seems harmless in the moment,” Seppinni said, "but obviously has larger repercussions.”




by the associated press