The Daily Bulletin Archive

Please join the Biology Department, the Great Lakes Center, and the Great Lakes ecosystem science program today for the seminar "Give Me That Candy Bar! The Physiological and Psychological Effects of Eating Comfort Food," presented by Naomi McKay, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology at Buffalo State, from 4:00 to 5:15 p.m. in Bulger Communication Center West. All students, staff, and faculty members are welcome.

Abstract
Stress-induced overeating has gained attention as one factor that contributes to obesity. Elevated stress increases energy intake through an alteration in food preference toward items that are specifically high in fat and carbohydrates. This increase in overall calories, along with the shift in macronutrient intake, likely propagates obesity. The effect that stress has on food intake has been extensively examined; however, the result that eating has on the stress response has received very little attention. It seems likely that consumption of high-fat, high-carbohydrate food items would have a short-term anxiolytic effect. This, however, has yet to be determined experimentally. The current research has begun to establish if both healthy and unhealthy foods accelerate recovery of the stress response.

Upon entering the laboratory, participants rated their anxiety levels. They then ate a Twix candy bar, an equal weight portion of carrots, or nothing. Participants then filled out a second anxiety questionnaire. Eating either the Twix or eating nothing significantly alleviated anxiety in participants who had an initially high anxiety level. Furthermore, the reduction of anxiety was not influenced by the preference for the food items. These results indicate that consumption of either high- or low-fat food ameliorates anxiety in participants with a high baseline level of self-reported anxiety.