• Question: Why do people eat so much (or not eat anything) when they are stressed?

    Asked by flibble to Chris, Georgina, Kristi, Laura on 6 Nov 2017.
    • Photo: Laura Ginesi

      Laura Ginesi answered on 6 Nov 2017:

      Being stressed needs a lot of energy. If people feel stressed for a long time, their adrenal glands start to produce more of a hormone called cortisol. And a bit of their brain (the hypothalamus) that controls their appetite begins to change, so people might
      a) feel hungrier;
      b) not feel hungry at all

      We also have reward circuitry in the brain that makes people feel good when they eat tasty food. That helps to explain why eating something might make people who feel stressed start to feel better if they eat.

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