TITLE

Here’s Why You Stress Eat—And How to Stop Doing It

DESCRIPTION

The article begins with a statement and link to an American Psychological Association 2017 survey regarding stress.  The article then follows a BioPsychoSocial approach to why individuals eat when stressed.  “Eating can even spark some of the same neurological reactions that drugs do, albeit to a lesser extent. Brain imaging research has shown that when people binge on carbohydrates and sugars, “it can actually activate the pleasure centers of the brain,” Baten says. Research has shown that sugar, like heroin or cocaine, can cause the feel-good chemical dopamine to flood the nucleus accumbens, the part of the brain responsible for pleasure and reward. Sugar can also release endogenous opioids, the body’s natural painkillers, which creates a pleasant effect.”  They article finishes with a discussion of some “healthy” solutions to manage stress.  This is a good article for the beginning of the semester to discuss how the BPS approach can be helpful to understanding behavior and motivation.

SOURCE

Time Magazine, July 31, 2018, by Jamie Ducharme

LINK TO RESOURCE

https://time.com/5347612/how-to-stop-stress-eating/

(Tiny URL)  http://tinyurl.com/y2rhdb6d

CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

•What is the relationship between stress and the body’s reaction to it?

•What is believed to be the mechanism by which “stress eating” offers relief from feeling stressed?

•Why is “stress eating” a problematic approach?

•How does the article illustrate a BioPsychoSocial approach to stress and eating?