Stress-eating is a pervasive issue among college students fueled by the stressors and challenges of life. If ignored, stress-eating can lead to various physical and mental health consequences. Let’s delve into what stress-eating is, explore nutritional guidelines on stress-eating and learn how to deal with stress through stress management techniques.

Stress-Eating, An Emotional Dilemma
Stress-eating or emotional eating is when you eat to cope with emotions to soothe yourself. Stress-eating due to emotional hunger is different from physical hunger. The onset of emotional hunger is sudden but physical hunger comes more gradually. You may want to satisfy emotional hunger instantly with the food you crave and feel guilty afterward. Conversely, there is no guilt to fulfill physical hunger.
Negative emotions such as anxiety, loneliness, depression, sadness and stress are the potential triggers with female stress-eaters struggling with healthy eating more than their male counterparts. Around 43 % of women of every age tend to eat unhealthy as a result of stress as compared to 32% of men. 
Stress Eating and College Students
Stress-eating is a growing problem among college students because students typically consume ‘comfort foods’. These foods are energy-dense, salty and sugary providing low nutritional value such as packaged crisps, fast food (pizza, burgers, fries) and sugary snacks (ice creams, chocolates, candies).

Conditions Prompting Emotional Eating
To stop stress-eating, we need to assess what is contributing to the stress of college students.
•    Students go through rigorous and intense coursework. The pressure to pass tough exams puts a student in a stressful situation. 
•    Moving away from parents and into hostels is a daunting experience. Not all students have great cooking and organizational skills to prepare meals thus, adapting to a new social environment causes them to choose quick fixes.  
•   Healthy food options are inaccessible, compelling students to purchase ready-to-eat meals. Meanwhile, some prefer online deliveries, dine-ins and takeout’s. Students under peer influence are more prone to overeat in a group setting.
•    Students are stuck between completing personal chores and meeting assignment deadlines. Such busy schedules further add to their stress. 
•   There is constant pressure on college students to become successful and financially independent. Many of them are unclear about the future. Future uncertainty and the added responsibilities of managing tuition, rent and other expenses can be overwhelming and become a stressor. 
•   Students from different ethnic backgrounds might be dealing with family problems, social conflicts, bullying which aggravates their appetite. Hence, there’s a dire need for a solid social support system that ensures students are doing well.
Negative Effects of Stress-Eating
Binge eating, Bulimia and Anorexia
In extreme cases, stress-eating can quickly transform into binge eating. Binge eating is a condition in which a person eats a lot of food in a short amount of time. It’s a defining feature of Bulimia Nervosa. People who have Bulimia can’t control the amount of food and feel guilty right after consuming it. To compensate for this, they regurgitate the food out and the cycle goes on. The outcomes are dysmorphia and low self-esteem.
Binge eating is also observed in a subgroup of Anorexia Nervosa. In addition to vomit, use of diuretics and laxatives is very common to get rid of the food consumed. After extremely restricting the food, people become gaunt and have low body weight.
Weight Gain and Obesity
Consumption of high-calorie junk food can result in increased fat stores around the abdomen causing obesity. Whilst, prolonged stress causes your adrenal glands to release cortisol (stress hormone) in excess, it raises your insulin, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. These hormonal changes take a big toll on your health; such as hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. 
Nutritional Deficiencies
Constipation, bloating, acid reflux and diarrhea are the consequences of an overwhelmed digestive system due to consumption of unhealthy food. Moreover, fast food lacks essential nutrients and minerals which weakens the immune system so your body becomes more susceptible to infections. It’s also very common for students to develop deficiencies of vital nutrients and minerals such as calcium, vitamin D and magnesium. Symptoms include headaches, muscle pain, cramps, tiredness and nausea. 
Reduced Concentration and Productivity
Poor diet and digestive issues stemming from stress-eating which causes fatigue, and difficulty concentrating. Excessive consumption of sugary foods brings about energy spikes and crashes that trigger mood swings, depression, guilt and further cravings; impacting cognitive function and productivity. 
Health issues arising from stress can result in students missing classes, leading to a decline in academic performance and grades.
Nutritional Guidelines on Stress-eating 
An anti-inflammatory diet is usually prescribed by dietitians to help lower cortisol levels. The Mediterranean Diet and the DASH Diet are great for their anti-inflammatory properties. These diets consist of more whole grains and less processed foods.
Nutritionists advise avoiding inflammatory foods like red meat, baked goods, white bread, white pasta, sodas, trans fats found in margarine, packaged crisps, and deep-fried items.
Ideally, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends consuming from five food groups to form a healthy diet making sure to add anti-inflammatory foods to your diet.
•    Eat Regularly During the Day: Have three main meals and two to three snacks. Each meal must include at least 3-4 food groups. So your breakfast should include:
-2 slices of wholegrain toast/ half chapati
-Scrambled eggs/ omelette
-Apple and a glass of milk
•    Increase The Fiber Content of Your Diet: Choose whole grains, vegetables, fruits and legumes. Green leafy vegetables are a good source of magnesium that is shown to help fight stress. 
•    Snack Smartly: Snack on walnuts, almonds, and pumpkin seeds which have good quality omega-3 fatty acids to fight stress. Other minerals like selenium, copper, magnesium, zinc and B vitamins are also beneficial for digestive health. 
•    Increase Vitamin C Intake: Vitamin C in bell peppers, citrus fruits and juices improves mood which helps regulating eating habits.
•    Drink Water: Students tend to forget to drink water amidst their busy schedules. So, keep a large water bottle and aim to drink at least 1.5-2 liters of water a day. 
•    Don’t Rush Your Meal Times: Prepare your plates with portions and sit down. Enjoy and savor each bite of your food.
•    Stock Up Fresh Fruits and Vegetables: Don’t buy junk food and frozen meals which lead to cardiovascular complications. Put fast food out of sight.
•    Opt for Healthy Alternatives: Instead of ice creams, have frozen fruit yogurt. Nuts, seeds, dried fruits instead of candies/chocolates/sweets.
Stress Management Techniques
The stress response varies from person to person. For example, you may want to eat less when you’re angry while sadness is reported to increase food intake. Skipping breakfast increases your chances of developing type2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Thus, it is crucial to practice stress management techniques to control over and under-eating behaviors.
•    Exercise and Physical Activity
Sign up for gyms, perform yoga, or put a timer on your mobile and get on moving. If you’re just beginning to set a fitness routine, don’t just start by performing intense exercises. Take small steps and aim to exercise at least 30 minutes a day.
•    Meditation and Mindfulness Practices
Getting hooked on thoughts and feelings doesn’t let you focus on your activities. Go slow and perform breathing exercises. World Health Organisation’s illustrative guide demonstrates mind relaxation and breathing exercises to manage stress refocusing life.

Tackling stress-eating isn’t easy because of the stressful challenges of college life. Yet, a healthy diet paired with stress management techniques will let you refocus on daily activities yielding a positive college life experience. Students should not shy away from seeking help about their problems. If you’re having trouble managing stress-eating and planning meals, consult a dietitian.

A nutritionist by profession, she actively promotes food and healthy eating through her writing.
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