Stress May Prompt Women to Eat: Study
 (State College, PA, AP, 7/7/04)

Laura Cousino Klein of Penn State University, and team, randomly blasted office sounds, like a ringing phone and a clacking typewriter, at extremely high volume while subjects performed a variety of tasks. After 25-minutes of the stressful noise, the subjects were left alone for 12 minutes and offered a magazine, water and a tray of snacks, which included both fatty and non-fatty items; after which; the researchers assigned them to solve an unsolvable maze. The scientists found that women who reacted to the noise and maze exercise with the most frustration, as indicated by elevated blood pressure and heart rate, were more likely to choose the fattier snacks; however, men’s food choices did not correspond with their degree of stress. These findings suggest that the body may continue to process negative feelings even after an event ends and, for women, the residual stress may affect food choices.

(Journal of Applied Social Psychology, March issue)