It is a known fact that many Americans eat when they become more stressed out. This is not anything new in the world of psychology. With all of the economic problems that are currently affecting the United States, a lot of Americans are beginning to gain weight. The reason? Stressful eating, of course.
According to Yahoo News, “tough times means tighter belts, and for many people tighter pants as they turn to fatty, sugary comfort food to deal with recession-related stress.” If you or someone that you know has recently experienced a lot of weight gain, this could be the very reason why.
Yahoo News reports, “Denise Lamothe, an emotional eating expert and clinical psychologist in Exeter, N.H., said research indicates that more than half the population eats more when feeling stressed.” Lamothe says that many of her patients were doing well with their weight loss, but are now beginning to eat more due to their financial problems.
The article later states that women are more likely than men to experience emotional eating. Perhaps this is because women are less likely to find new, higher paying jobs. This is also not to mention women who have chosen to remain homemakers, but are now being forced to enter the workforce because their husbands have lost their jobs.
Another reason that Americans may be gaining weight? The cost of cooking healthy food can be very expensive. Although the cost of candy has been on the rise, there is also a lot of stereotypes about the cost of eating healthy. Many people feel that they cannot afford to eat healthy due to the high cost of fruits and vegetables. Local farmer markets are a great alternative, which can make the cost of these essential foods for a healthy diet affordable.
As Denise Lamothe also points out, the cost of fast food is very affordable. Many large food chains, such as McDonalds, are offering dollar menus. Other restaurants, such as Applebee’s and Chili’s, are offering deals of their appetizer combos. What many people do not realize is that eating three different appetizers at one meal can really be quite damaging to your waist.
If you are afraid that you may be experience stress eating, the best thing that you can do is begin a food journal. Write down what you are eating, as well as the emotions that you are feeling when eating them. This will help you learn what triggers the problem. It is also a good idea to try to keep healthier snacks on hand, and avoid eating out as much. Even though an item from McDonalds may seem inexpensive, a spaghetti dinner is actually more affordable for an entire family and somewhat more nutritious.
