Stress Does Not Lead to Unhealthy Eating

Posted by Milton Recht:

From Association For Psychological Science, "Munching Through Life's Travails" by Wray Herbert:

contrary to received wisdom—neither Munchers [when stressed, eat] nor Skippers [when stressed, skip eating] is at greater risk for maladaptive eating. Indeed, there is no evidence here that stress leads to unhealthy eating, since it’s the balance through life’s ups and downs that matters. Munchers may compensate for their stress-induced munching by cutting back when life is pleasant, just as Skippers may make up for those skipped meals with good-time munchies. In this sense, Munchers and Skippers may differ less in their total calorie consumption—and more in the the dynamics of that consumption. Both, Sproesser concludes, have "a soft spot for food." [Emphasis added.]