Sugar fix
New Zealand Listener|May 06 - 12 2023
Why do many of us turn to sweet and fatty snacks in response to dealing with stress?
Marc Wilson
Sugar fix

At a health psychology conference on Waiheke Island a few years ago, I gave a talk about psychological factors associated with a certain dietary behaviour: why people either consume or abstain from meat and other animal products. I ended the talk with a series of photos of delegates dining during the conference, to invite reflection on their own reasons for eating what they did.

At a recent conference in the same field, hosted in the South Island, the tables were turned. I attended a fantastic food-related talk with a different focus that invited me to reflect on how and what I eat.

I've long been a fan of UK-based psychologist Daryl O'Connor's work, but wasn't familiar with this particular strand of his research, which focuses on the relationship between stress and "eating styles" in adults and young people.

This story is from the May 06 - 12 2023 edition of New Zealand Listener.

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This story is from the May 06 - 12 2023 edition of New Zealand Listener.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

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