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Oct 6, 2022 · Chronic stress appears to be more linked to greater intakes of foods that are high in calories, sugars and fat, whereas acute stress is more likely to suppress the appetite and generate the...
- Overview
- The fight-or-flight response shifts focus to the root of stress
- Physical symptoms from stress can suppress appetite
- How to regain your appetite if you lose it
Even though it’s more common to binge-eat when stressed, some people have the opposite reaction due to physical symptoms and other causes.
Over the course of just 1 year, Claire Goodwin’s life turned completely upside down.
Her twin brother moved to Russia, her sister left home on bad terms, her father moved away and became unreachable, she and her partner broke up, and she lost her job.
From October to December 2012, she lost weight rapidly.
“Eating was an unnecessary expense, worry, and inconvenience,” says Goodwin. “My stomach had been in a knot and my heart [had been] in my throat for months.”
“I was so stressed, anxious, and preoccupied that I didn’t feel hunger. Swallowing food made me nauseous, and tasks like cooking or doing dishes seemed overwhelming and insignificant when compared to my bigger problems,” she shares with Healthline.
Li says this problem can be traced all the way back to the origins of the fight-or-flight response.
Thousands of years ago, anxiety resulted from a response to an uncomfortable or stressful situation, such as being chased by a tiger.
Some people’s response to seeing a tiger would be to run away as fast as they could. Other people might freeze or hide. Some might even charge the tiger.
This same principle applies to why certain people lose their appetite when anxious, while others overeat.
“There are people who respond to any stress with ‘the tiger’s on my tail’ [perspective]: ‘I cannot do anything but run,’” Li says. “Then there are other people who try to make themselves more relaxed or more in a pleasurable state — that’s actually the majority of people. Those people eat more food.”
People who lose their appetite are so consumed by the source of their stress or anxiety that they can’t do anything else, including necessary tasks like eating.
When Mindi Sue Black recently lost her father, she dropped a significant amount of weight. She forced herself to nibble here and there but had no desire to eat.
“I knew I should eat, but I just couldn’t,” she tells Healthline. “The thought of chewing anything put me in a tailspin. It was a chore to drink water.”
Like Black, some people lose their appetite as a result of physical symptoms associated with anxiety that make the thought of eating unappetizing.
“Oftentimes, stress manifests itself through physical sensations in the body, such as nausea, tense muscles, or a knot in the stomach,” says Christina Purkiss, a primary therapist at The Renfrew Center of Orlando, an eating disorder treatment facility.
“These sensations could lead to difficulty being in tune with hunger and fullness cues,” Purkiss explains. “If someone is feeling intensely nauseous due to stress, it will be challenging to accurately read when the body is experiencing hunger.”
Raul Perez-Vazquez, MD, says that some people also lose their appetite due to the increase in cortisol (the stress hormone) that can happen during times of high anxiety.
Black says she knows she should be eating and has taken precautions to ensure that her health is still a priority. She makes herself eat soup and tries to stay active.
“I make sure to go for a long walk twice a day with my dog to make sure my muscles aren’t atrophying from the weight loss, I do yoga to stay focused, and I play the occasional pickup soccer game,” she says.
- Jamie Friedlander
Feb 15, 2021 · Stress eating can ruin your weight loss goals – the key is to find ways to relieve stress without overeating. There is much truth behind the phrase "stress eating." Stress, the hormones it unleashes, and the effects of high-fat, sugary "comfort foods" push people toward overeating.
- hhp_info@health.harvard.edu
Apr 10, 2024 · The main reason short-term stress can be an appetite killer, according to Dr. Gentile: Unnerving situations (like an upcoming job interview or your first date in years) activate your...
Oct 8, 2024 · Long-term stress and anxiety can have a significant effect on a person’s appetite. They may overeat as a form of stress management or experience a diminished hunger sensation. Researchers theorize that appetite suppression may be due to hormones associated with stress.
Jan 26, 2023 · Stress eating is normal behavior, but it can become disordered eating. Mindful and intuitive eating can help you understand your feelings and stress responses.
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Jan 3, 2012 · In the short term, stress can shut down appetite. A structure in the brain called the hypothalamus releases corticotropin-releasing hormone, which suppresses appetite. The brain also sends messages to the adrenal glands atop the kidneys to pump out the hormone epinephrine (also known as adrenaline).
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