Brain Behav Immun July 2005 PMID 15944067

Chronic stress and comfort foods: self-medication and abdominal obesity.

Mary F Dallman, Norman C Pecoraro, Susanne E la Fleur

Mentions

24
Peak: 2 in Aug 2025
across 5 sources since Jul 2019

Extended reach

1,606
potential audience

Total likes

57

Video views

1,587

Mentions per month

Jul 2019 – Aug 2025

Where it's discussed

  • News15 articles
  • YouTube3 videos
  • Facebook3 posts
  • Blogs2 articles
  • X / Twitter1 posts

AI synopsis

What people are saying

This discussion reflects a mild agreement with the research, emphasizing that certain comfort foods like pizza have scientific support for their effects, with words like 'scientific studies' implying credibility. The tone balances skepticism towards homeopathy with acknowledgment of evidence, illustrating a nuanced view of the article's implications.

AgreementModerate agreement

The post agrees with the idea that comfort foods like pizza can have real health benefits supported by scientific research, reflecting some level of consensus with the article's discussion.

InterestModerate interest

The discussion shows moderate interest, highlighting an ongoing debate about the effectiveness of comfort foods in stress management but not delving deeply into complex mechanisms.

EngagementNeutral engagement

The post offers a brief comparison rather than an in-depth analysis, indicating a surface-level engagement with the topic.

ImpactNeutral impact

While it challenges some misconceptions, it has limited impact since it does not significantly alter the broader understanding of stress and comfort foods.

Abstract in brief

  • Chronic stress activates the CRF networks in the brain, particularly in the amygdala, leading to behavioral, autonomic, and hormonal changes associated with stress.
  • Elevated glucocorticoids (GCs), released during chronic stress, counteract some of these effects and stimulate the craving and intake of comfort foods, especially involving the nucleus accumbens, which reduces stress-related negative feelings.
  • The combined effect of stress, GCs, and insulin shifts energy storage toward abdominal fat, while comfort food consumption helps alleviate stress impacts by altering neurobehavioral responses related to anxiety and defense.]

Top posts

Most liked on X and Bluesky
Pascal
@Pascal_1662 · X

@inreaktion Pizza mit Homöopathie zu vergleichen ist unfair. Zu Pizza ("comfort food") gibt es wissenschaftliche Studien die eine Wirksamkeit belegen: https://t.co/5oJbKNEr2u

Jul 16, 2019 · 1 like · 20 followers View post →

All mentions

Pascal
@Pascal_1662 · X

@inreaktion Pizza mit Homöopathie zu vergleichen ist unfair. Zu Pizza ("comfort food") gibt es wissenschaftliche Studien die eine Wirksamkeit belegen: https://t.co/5oJbKNEr2u

Jul 16, 2019 · 1 like · 20 followers View post →