Out of all my female friends, only one loses her appetite when she is under pressure; the rest (myself included) reach for the nearest comfort food — and plenty of it — at the slightest sign of stress. It seems we’re not alone.

Women, Men, and the Stress-Eating Response

A 2000 study found that women may be at particular risk of stress-induced eating and weight gain. Of course, if you’ve ever polished off a dozen Krispy Kremes at the end of a particularly daunting day at work, you probably don’t need scientific proof of this.

Another study showed that a high body mass index (BMI) was found in adults who eat and drink in response to stress, particularly women. That higher BMI could likely be attributed to the foods the researchers found stress-eaters often consume, which includes hamburgers, pizza, and chocolate. Additionally, stress-eaters were found to consume alcohol more often, which could account for a large number of additional, empty calories.

Interestingly, there were a variety of common lifestyle-related predictors for men becoming stress-eaters in the study, such as job-loss or divorce. For women, the main cause was narrowed down to one issue — lack of emotional support.

The Cortisol Connection

There is a natural, stress-related hormone called cortisol that may contribute to weight issues, particularly abdominal fat. High amounts of cortisol are released into the blood stream when you are under stress. Receptors for cortisol are located in your abdomen, which triggers fat storage there. In 2000, researchers found that women with a high waist-to-hip ratio — both overweight and slim — secreted more cortisol under stress and reported more stress in their daily lives than women with lower waist-to-hip ratios.

Additionally, excess cortisol may actually cause your metabolism …
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