Perverse Access Memory → Comfort Foods Switch Off Stress, Scientists Find

Bad news for those of us that turn to food when we’re stressed out, and thus tend to be overweight…

Eating calorie-rich food seems to calm the nerves, but eating too much can lead to obesity, depression and more stress.

This is the first time it has been shown that the tendency to overeat in the face of chronic stress is biologically driven…

And the kicker:

“If you use sex, drugs or rock ’n’ roll instead of high-energy food to get stress-reducing pleasure, you miss out on the metabolic feedback,” he said. “You don’t shut down the chronic stress system. You just seek more cocaine. Things like saccharin won’t cut it. You need the real thing or the system won’t stay in balance.”