Relora

Cravings for high-carbohydrate and high-fat foods such as candy, cookies, and chips can be caused by chronic stress. Stress-related eating can cause weight gain, particularly around the middle section. It is estimated that some 60 percent of adults in America are overweight or even obese. Many of these weight situations are due to food cravings created by stress. More than 20 percent of adults in America are obese due to the stress-related condition "metabolic syndrome." This syndrome is marked by high blood pressure, bad cholesterol, a "beer" belly and elevated blood sugar levels.

Dr. Pamela Peeke, a teaching physician at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and formerly a scientist at the National Institutes of Health, states that individuals with excess fat around their midsections have a higher risk factor for developing diabetes, heart disease, some types of cancer or stroke.

Many adults who develop fat and/or sugar cravings when they are undergoing stress know that their appetites are out of control. Still, it has been difficult for doctors and scientists to show the actual cause and effect. Doctors at the University of California at San Francisco have now been able to show clearly that people who are susceptible to cortisol, the stress hormone, tend to take in more calories and eat more sweet and high-fat foods when they are under stress. This recent study also showed that increased food consumption was present in cortisol-receptive individuals when they were experiencing negative moods.