Women's Health

5 new ways to stop stress eating

Sure, pressure can cause meltdowns, but it also makes you snack. Big time.

You can't take much more. It's 3pm on a hellish day that's already included beetroot stains, a confrontation with your boss and a guilt trip from your mum. You need a pick-me-up, a way to make it through the rest of the day without exploding. You need a Kit Kat Chunky. Or a giant plate of hot chips with gravy. Or, OK, even the month-old bag of probably-stale pretzels that's buried at the bottom of your desk drawer.

If you've ever felt this way, then you sure don't need us to tell you that stress can make you gain weight. And you're not alone: in a survey of more than 1800 people conducted by the American Psychological Association last year, 43 per cent of respondents admitted to overeating or eating unhealthy foods in response to stress during the previous month. And women were more apt to do it than men.

Unless you join a monastery, you can't avoid stress or stop yaour body's automtic reaction to it. But don't start pumping out cortisol just yet. There's still plenty you can do.

May 9, 2012