Indulging in high-calorie ‘comfort’ foods when you are stressed can lead to more weight gain than usual, scientists say.
Researchers from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Australia discovered a molecular pathway in the brain, controlled by insulin, which drives the additional weight gain.
Using an animal model, the team showed that a high-calorie diet when combined with stress resulted in more weight gain than the same diet caused in a stress-free environment.
“This study indicates that we have to be much more conscious about what we’re eating when we’re stressed, to avoid a faster development of obesity,” said Herbert Herzog, who led the study.
Some individuals eat less when they’re stressed, but most will increase their food intake—and crucially, the intake of calorie-dense food high in sugar and fat.
To understand what controls this ‘stress eating’, the team investigated different areas of the brain in mice.
