Eating Behavior, Stress, and Adiposity: Discordance Between Perception and Physiology

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Science
• Endocrinology
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Obesity is a growing public health concern.
• Understanding the interplay between stress, eating patterns, and body composition is crucial for developing effective interventions.
• Previous research suggests links between psychological stress and eating behaviors, but the relationship with physiological stress markers and adiposity requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the interrelationships among psychological stress, eating behaviors, and adiposity in normal-weight and overweight individuals.
• To examine correlations between clinical markers of physiological stress and adiposity with self-reported eating behaviors and perceived stress.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of 107 participants.
• Assessed adiposity using body mass index (BMI) and percent body fat.
• Measured physiological stress via fasting serum cortisol.
• Evaluated eating behaviors using the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (Cognitive Restraint, Disinhibition, Hunger) and psychological stress with the Perceived Stress Scale.

Main Results:

• Significant positive correlations were found between eating disinhibition and hunger with BMI and percent body fat.
• Both eating disinhibition and hunger positively correlated with perceived stress.
• Eating disinhibition showed an inverse correlation with fasting serum cortisol levels, indicating a potential paradox between perceived and physiological stress.

Conclusions:

• Eating behaviors like disinhibition and hunger are significantly associated with increased adiposity.
• Perceived stress is linked to specific eating behaviors, but its relationship with physiological stress markers is complex.
• Further research is needed to elucidate the paradoxical effects of perceived versus physiological stress on eating behaviors and body composition.