Stress Can Release Chemicals That Lead to Overeating

It's no surprise that we get hungry when stressed, but in the middle of an emotional meltdown or feeling stuck and numb, nothing quite satisfies us as much as a chocolate chip cookie, a bowl of buttered popcorn, or some chips.

Stress eating seems psychological, but from studying obesity for decades, I know better. That eating is fundamentally biochemical. Food is not the root cause of what ails us, but what drives us to do it.

Stress activates the unconscious mind and mobilizes our entire body to prepare for a physical threat. This is a throwback to hunter-gatherer days when psychological stress was nil and stress occurred only now and then when a hungry lion was chasing. As a result, the brain evolved to interpret psychological stress as a sign that we will perish from starvation, therefore, gorging ourselves is smart, and laying down whatever we eat as fat tissue is even smarter.

Source: Jacob Lund/iStock/ Used with Permission

Say, you are having a pleasant day, but someone or something triggers you. You might not even know you are stressed; maybe you feel numb, but the stress circuits in your brain activate a silent chemical cascade that causes imbalances in the eight major chemicals that drive overeating and weight gain: cortisol, dopamine, insulin, leptin, PYY, serotonin, and ghrelin. Before you know it, you're hungry, and an apple looks rather unappealing, but apple pie with ice cream, perhaps some cinnamon sauce? Perfect!

If you psychologize what just happened, you would be sure that there was something wrong with you, that you were weak-willed, but breakthroughs in neuroscience point to another cause: biology. Your emotional brain is encoded through no fault of your own, and it is busy activating chemicals that make you hungry for no reason.

A psychotherapy I developed is based on using emotional support in a small group setting. This support may help rewire and activate the above-mentioned chemical drive that results in hunger and weight gain. The first step in using the therapy is to stop blaming yourself. The problem is your unconscious mind.

This is the first post in a series, begin by appreciating your brain activates that hunger and cravings, along with the inevitable weight gain. It's not you, but a chemical cascade causing you difficulty. When you realize that you ate too much, update your approach based on neuroscience: Rewire it.