Stress-Induced EatingStress appears constantly in daily life. Living in a very fast-paced environment where everything is needed or wanted in an instant. Between having a family, going to school, and having one or more jobs, there are many things in life that can cause a person stress. In a world where you constantly have to multitask to keep up, stress is a given. With all of this that our bodies have to deal with on a regular basis, excessive stress is not a good thing. Today, people deal with stress in different ways, but most of us like to eat when we're stressed, regardless of why we're stressed. Our body deals with stress in several ways, including releasing certain hormones that increase or decrease our appetite and it can also make us addicted to food by activating our reward system. Now, when our hormones or reward systems are activated, our body tends to seek out food to comfort us, which is why stress eating can lead to obesity. Since people respond differently to stress, do men and women respond differently to stress? Do men and women choose different types of foods when stressed? According to Nowson (2007), stress can be defined as “the generalized, nonspecific response of the body to any factor that overwhelms, or threatens to overwhelm, the body's capabilities.” compensatory capacities to maintain homeostasis” (p. 887). There are several types of stressors that can cause a stress response. There are chemical stressors, physical stressors, psychological or emotional stressors, physiological and social stressors. Chemical stressors are any stressors that affect your chemical balance, including acid-base imbalance and reduced oxygen intake. Physics...... middle of paper ...... Amanda., Zellner, Dedra A. (2006). Food selection changes under stress. Physiology and Behavior, volume 87 (number 4), pages 789-793. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2006.01.014 Nowson, Caryl A., Torres, Susan J. (2007). Relationship between stress, diet, behavior and obesity. Nutrition, volume 23 (numbers 11-12), pages 887-894. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2007.08.008 Oliver, Georgina., Wardle, Jane. (1999). Perceived effects of stress on food choice. Physiology and Behavior, volume 66 (number 3), pages 511-515. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9384(98)00322-9 Rolls, Barbara J., Shide, David J., Suzanne E., Weinstein. (1997). Changes in dietary intake in response to stress in men and women: psychological factors. Appetite, volume 28 (number 1), pages 7-18. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1006/appe.1996.0056