To conduct their scientific research, researchers at the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sol (Brazil) exposed a litter of baby rats to reduced nesting, which corresponds to a high dose of stress when they were just born. They then measured their behavioral anxiety and stress responses in adulthood, as well as their consumption of very fatty and sugary foods over a four-day period.
Rats attracted to junk food
Their results from this study showed that exposing rodents to stress from an early age had a measurable impact on their adulthood. Indeed, it increased their hormonal response to stress and anxiety in the form of spikes in corticosterone, and resulted in a real fondness for high-calorie, fatty and sugary foods.
Stress compensated by diet
Food is often a refuge that provides reassurance in the event of emotional stress. Unfortunately in these moments, we more often opt for sweet and caloric foods, than for fruits and vegetables.
But according to the researchers’ analyzes, it appears that this is not just a psychological response, as they found that chronic stress in adulthood can also trigger hormonal responses, and push people (especially women) towards junk food, just to compensate and to reassure themselves.
Infants born under stressful conditions, ill or underweight may therefore be conditioned to feed poorly in adulthood.
This study was presented at the annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior in New Orleans.
