good (for a while). And so the vicious cycle
serves only to reinforce itself until you have
developed a habitual response—the automatic
craving for a specific food in response to
certain triggers.
Automatic cravings do not sound
psychologically healthy to us.
THE STRESS EFFECT
Stress is another factor that promotes the
reinforcement of these unhealthy patterns. We
don’t need a scientific study to tell us that
many people eat when they’re stressed to
distract themselves from the situation and
help themselves relax. The trouble is, chronic
stress (whether it stems from anxiety or
worry, lack of sleep, over-exercise, or poor
nutritional habits) is driving us—via our
biology—to overeat.
Stress affects the activation of reward
pathways and impairs your attempts to control