Stress drives many to comfort food

By Natalie Digate
Daily Bruin Contributor

To cope with heightened anxiety and vulnerability since Sept.
11, many Americans have turned to comfort foods.

Like going to the bathroom and sleeping, eating is a
physiological necessity. But in times of stress, food transforms
from being a source of fuel to a distraction and a form of
procrastination ““ food becomes comfort.

“Some people may use food to help them feel more
“˜grounded’ or “˜strong’ in light of their
feelings of vulnerability,” said Karen Minero, a clinical
psychologist and assistant director of the Center for Women and
Men.

Experts say turning to food for comfort is a learned response
that is continuously reinforced. For example, a mother’s milk
effectively calms a screaming baby, and milk and cookies later heal
a toddler’s playground wounds. Likewise, a slice of pizza is
a stressed-out student’s reward for studying.

“Throughout our life, we are conditioned to turn to food
for security, comfort and pleasure,” said Sheri Barke, a
dietician at the Arthur Ashe Student Health and Wellness
Center.

“It’s little wonder that as college students, food
becomes a tranquilizer when we’re anxious and stressed out, a
mood elevator when we’re depressed, a comforter when
we’re lonely, and a reward when we’ve had a hard day
and an entertainer when we are bored,” she continued.

The comfort foods that Barke alludes to generally are high in
fat and calories. Feelings of guilt and self-loathing often follow
an emotional binge, she said.

Examples of common comfort foods are pizza, potato chips,
cookies, ice cream and ““ the most renowned — chocolate.

Chocolate is made primarily of simple carbohydrates, which, like
exercise and sex, can elevate endorphin and serotonin levels,
leading to feelings of reduced anxiety and relaxation.

Because carbohydrates high in fat take longer to digest, their
calming physiological effects are delayed, causing people to eat
more, said Susan Bowerman, a dietician at the Center for Human
Nutrition.

“I don’t recommend looking for that
“˜high,’ but if you’re going to do it,
you’re better off eating dry cereal,” Bowerman
said.

Health professionals recommend eating comfort foods in small
portions, assessing physical hunger prior to eating, waiting at
least 10 minutes between the impulse to eat and actually eating,
and trying to find more productive strategies to cope with
stress.

“Maybe it’s a good time to say “˜My exercise
program is not up to par’ and to set reasonable (exercise)
goals,” Bowerman said.

According to Elisa Terry, manager for sports and recreation at
the Wooden Recreation and Sports Center, exercise relieves many of
the same physiological and psychological responses to stress as
comfort foods ““ and it is “guilt-free.”