South Dakota State University Annual Nutrition Seminar Practical Perennial Problems in Nutrition March 29-31, 1999

"Nutrition and Stress". Kendra Kattlemann, PhD, RD, LN: Director of Didactic Program in Dietetics, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD.

Stress is a physical reaction to the perceived sense of threat, a feeling out of control or a response to pressure. There are 2 kinds of stress:

7 Distress - negative stressors like work, financial or family concerns, marital problems, death of a loved one 7 Eustress - positive stressors like getting married, a new job, buying a house, having a baby, celebrating the holidays, going on vacation

The reaction to stress manifests itself in the same symptoms: clenched jaws, headaches, insomnia, lack of energy, or weight gain or loss. Long-term stress can lead to health problems. The Department of Health & Human Services reports that 43% of adults suffer the adverse health effects from stress. Some of the conditions that can be caused by stress are high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, ulcers, migraine headaches, tension headaches, allergies, asthma, hay fever, rheumatoid arthritis, and backache.

The physiological response to stress occurs in 3 stages: alarm, resistance and exhaustion. In the alarm stage a person is prepared for a confrontation and is controlled by hormones and the nervous system. Physical reactions to this stage are: eyes dilate, breathing becomes rapid, blood vessels squeeze shut, urine is released, fuel is released, heart rate increases, digestion is interrupted, blood pressure rises and muscle tone is affected by shaking or trembling. This is the classic "fight or flight" stage of alarm.

The resistance stage is the body's attempt to reestablish a more normal level of functioning. This state can only compensate for a limited amount of time. If the stress is ongoing and/or intensified, then exhaustion sets in. This results in a person who feels tired and strained. The immunity system can also be affected by becoming less effective in the ability to fight off infections.

Stress also has effects on nutritional status. Some people react to stress by increasing their calories and gaining weight. Some react by decreasing calories and losing weight. Some will increase their intake of caffeine and/or alcohol.

Interestingly enough, there are differences in the way that men and women tend to react to stress. Men are less likely to overeat when stressed (but do overeat in response to being happy or excited). Men crave foods that are high in fat and protein, such as hotdogs, steak, potato chips, and pizza when stressed.

Women are more likely to overeat in response to stress or "stress-eat". Women overeat when they are alone and they associate their overeating with negative emotions such as sadness, anger, loneliness and conflict. Women crave foods that are high in fat and carbohydrate, such as cookies, chocolate, candy and cake. It's not a surprise then, that s-t-r-e-s-s-e-d spells d-e-s-s-e-r-t-s!

To test your personal response to stress, take this quiz:

1) Are you too hurried or stressed to have time for breakfast? 2) Is caffeine the most important ingredient in your breakfast? 3) If you are trying to diet, do you skip or cut back on meals? 4) Around 3:00 PM, do you have that no-energy feeling? 5) Are you starving when you arrive home at the end of the day? 6) Do you stand at the counter and eat anything you can find? 7) Is it your style to sample food while preparing it? 8) Do your elbow and the remote control do the majority of exercise in the evening? 9) When you go long periods of time without eating, do you become short-tempered and irritable? 10) When you eat under stress, do you choose only treats? 11) Do you stress-eat several times a week? 12) Do you crave sweets several times a week? 13) Have you gained or lost weight recently because of stress-eating? 14) When you are under stress, is chocolate that only food that really calms you?

If you have more yes's than no's, then you are stress-eating!

The best way to combat the effects of stress is to:

7 Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet based on the Food Guide Pyramid and eat for enjoyment. 7 Be active with something you find pleasurable. 7 Use mind/body techniques that calm you like music, yoga, message, or laughter. South Dakota State University Annual Nutrition Seminar Practical Perennial Problems in Nutrition March 29-31, 1999

"Reaching Consumers with Meaningful Health Messages". Presented by a representative from the International Food Information Council, Washington, D.C.

A change in the program brought us this presentation which was about the "It's All About You" campaign. The Dietary Guidelines Alliance promotes this campaign. It is the alliance's mission to provide positive, simple and consistent messages to help consumers achieve healthy, active lifestyles. There are numerous health promotion and government agencies involved in the alliance.

The result of consumer studies of what they want and what they need, has led to the development of the campaign. Consumers said they wanted nutrition messages that:

Give it to me straight - use lay terms Make it simple and fun - not confusing Explain what's in it for me - the benefits Stop changing - there is too much confusion from the changing recommendations

The campaign uses simple, action-orientated messages to help consumers focus on themselves and what they want out of life. The messages are targeted to healthy adults:

7 Be Realistic - Make small changes over time in what you eat and the level of activity you do. After all, small steps work better than giant leaps. 7 Be Adventurous - Expand your tastes to enjoy a variety of foods. 7 Be Flexible - Go ahead and balance what you eat and the physical activity you do over several days. No need to worry about just one meal or one day. 7 Be Sensible - Enjoy all foods, just don't overdo it. 7 Be Active - Walk the dog, don't just watch the dog walk.

Available in summer 1999 is a new toolkit which will include a leader's guide for the instructor, an owner's manual for your body, and a video showcasing real people and their diet and exercise challenges. A preview of the videotape showed it to be a winner!

-- Anonymous, April 21, 1999

Answers

I am printing this out and going to post some of the info on my fridge at home for my 3 stubborn teenagers who think I'm being just psycho about insisting on their eating a good breakfast, etc. during stressful exams! (This was not a good morning at my house this morning, can you tell?)

Seriously, I am so happy to see you using this information and I'm struck consistently (in part because of the teenagers I live with and their friends!) with the urgent need for all age groups and life-style groups of folks to have this info.

-- Anonymous, April 23, 1999

I am printing this out and going to post some of the info on my fridge at home for my 3 stubborn teenagers who think I'm being just psycho about insisting on their eating a good breakfast, etc. during stressful exams! (This was not a good morning at my house this morning, can you tell?)

Seriously, I am so happy to see you using this information and I'm struck consistently (in part because of the teenagers I live with and their friends!) with the urgent need for all age groups and life-style groups of folks to have this info. Thanks.

-- Anonymous, April 23, 1999