Stress and Eating Flashcards
What are the 3 reasons why we eat?
-Hunger (Eating to Live)
-Appetite (Living to Eat)
-Satiety
What is hunger, and what triggers it?
-inborn physiological need to eat
-when lacking energy, the stomach and intestines send signals to the brain, triggering hunger
-prompts eating to replenish energy
What is appetite, and what influences it?
-learned response and desire to eat food
-influenced by sensory aspects (sight, smell, taste)
-driven by emotions, social situations, and cultural norms
What is satiety, and what influences it the most?
-the feeling of fullness after eating
-more influenced by body signals than external factors
What are the internal and external factors that influence appetite?
-Internal factors: physiological mechanisms regulate appetite, with hormones such as neuropeptide Y stimulating food intake and leptin reducing food intake.
-external factors: environmental influences, social factors, and the palatability of foods affect appetite and food consumption.
What is the Set Point Theory that explains internal factors of appetite?
-Nuclei control body weight through a set-point mechanism
-LH (Lateral Hypothalamus) lesions reduce the set point for body weight, causing lesioned rats to maintain a new lower weight
-LVMH (Ventromedial Hypothalamus) lesions increase the set point for body weight, causing lesioned rats to maintain a new higher weight
What is the Dual Center Hypothesis that explains internal factors of appetite?
eating –> increase in blood glucose –> ventromedial hypothalamus turned on –> satiety –> eating stops –> decrease in blood glucose –> lateral hypothalamus turned on –> hunger (and back to eating)
[2 spots in the hypothalamus are critical, one to stop eating and the other to eat]
What is the Positive Incentive Theory that explains external factors of appetite?
-suggests that eating is triggered by external stimuli such as the time of day, or the sight and smell of food
What factors influence eating behavior?
-environmental influences: food availability, climate, etc.
-emotional factors: stress, mood, perceptions
-social influences: culture, religion
-health status: chronic disease, mental illness
-medication & sensory aspects: appetite-suppressing drugs, taste, texture, and smell of food
What is the source of appetite and stress?
-both the source of stress response and eating behaviour/appetite is in the hypothalamus
[also sexual behaviour]
What physiological changes [affecting appetite] occur in response to acute or chronic stress?
-slowed gastric emptying
-elevation of blood pressure
-increase in heart rate
-mobilization of energy stores
-decreased blood flow to non-essential organs (e.g., digestive system, kidneys, and skin)
How does stress affect appetite regulation?
-Noradrenaline and CRH suppress appetite.
-Cortisol release increases appetite.
-most people eat more in response to stress because the body seeks more fuel after dealing with stress.
How do acute and chronic stress affect appetite and metabolism?
-Chronic stress → Body enters fat storage mode to survive famine.
-Acute stress → Appetite shuts down; stored energy is used for fight-or-flight response.
-Exercise mimics fight-or-flight, increasing metabolism and suppressing appetite.
How are does eating habits affected during stressful periods?
-increases caloric intake, saturated fat, and carbohydrate
-high restraint → later loss of control in eating
How does stress and mood impact eating?
-increased negative mood during stress is linked to higher caloric intake
-DA release during eating enhances mesolimbic neuronal activity, creating pleasure
-consuming comfort foods helps reduce negative hormonal and behavioral stress responses
-higher sense of mastery is associated with lower daily cortisol secretion
How does stress affect food preference?
-snacking behavior increases with stress, regardless of gender or dieting status
-food preference shifts—meal-type foods (fruits, vegetables, meat, fish) are consumed less during stress
-food texture influences how well food alleviates stress [creamy or crunchy]
-mildly arousing stressors lead to increased eating
-severe or chronic stressors reduce food intake
How does cortisol affect eating behavior in women under stress?
-Women with higher cortisol reactivity ate more under stress.
What are the 4 types of unhealthy eating cues?
-social cues
-situational cues
-negative thoughts
-negative feelings
What are the social cues that play a role in eating?
-often eating is the primary activity in social settings
-wanting to fit into social settings
-peer pressure
What are the situational cues that play a role in eating?
-seeking comfort during crisis/loneliness
-avoiding negative feelings
-reward
What are the negative thoughts and feelings that play a role in eating?
The Cycle of Automatic Eating:
-unpleasant situation
-automatic negative thoughts
-negative feelings
-eat our emotions
