Title of project

ACUTE & CHRONIC STRESS AND THEIR IMPACT ON WEIGHT AND FOOD CHOICES

Faculty Advisor

Teri L. Burgess-Champoux

Department

Nutrition and Exercise Science

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ACUTE & CHRONIC STRESS AND THEIR IMPACT ON WEIGHT AND FOOD CHOICES

ACUTE & CHRONIC STRESS AND THEIR IMPACT ON WEIGHT AND FOOD CHOICES. C.A. Hanwick. Henrietta Schmoll School of Health, Nutrition and Exercise Science, St. Catherine University, St. Paul, MN

Scientific evidence suggests that when the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) gets involved with stress responses, changes are created in the peripheral metabolic substrates and central neuroendocrine, which alter cortisol production and thus change individual eating behavior and choices. The purpose of this systematic review was to determine the impact of stress on weight, and more specifically, the affect of acute and chronic stress, on emotional eaters and restrained vs. non-restrained eaters and how cortisol plays into eating choices and patterns. An EBSCO search with the terms stress, cortisol and weight was performed. Most studies were limited within the last five years. Of the six studies reviewed all assessed chronic, perceived and/or acute stress within the subject. In addition, emotional eating and restrained vs. non-restrained eaters and the role of cortisol within the subject of stress eating were discussed in most but not all studies. Two of the six studies had men mixed within their trials, five used pre-menopausal women as subjects, while one of the studies used women with the mean age of 20. The studies were held within laboratory settings, the subjects home, or had subjects self-report online. Although still controversial, these six studies suggest that chronic stress have an impact on eating choices that lean towards foods higher in fat and sugar. Although still in its early stages, this research will be beneficial because stress has been linked to an array of health issues, specifically obesity and has now itself become a health concern.