Health & Environmental Research Online (HERO)


Print Feedback Export to File
474793 
Journal Article 
Stress response and binge eating disorder 
Gluck, ME 
2006 
Yes 
Appetite
ISSN: 0195-6663
EISSN: 1095-8304 
46 
1 
26-30 
English 
In clinical practice, obese patients report stress as a primary trigger for binge eating. However, the biological mechanism underlying this relationship is poorly understood. This paper presents, a theoretical overview of how cortisol secretion, a major component of the stress response, could play a role in binge eating, given that exogenous glucocorticoids can lead to obesity by increasing food intake. I will discuss findings from recent studies demonstrating links between laboratory stress, cortisol, food intake and abdominal fat in humans. Cortisol is elevated following laboratory stressors in women with anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and obesity, but has not been widely studied in women with binge eating disorder (BED). Additionally, I will review recent findings demonstrating a greater cortisol response to stress in obese women with BED compared to non-BED. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 
obesity; eating disorders; cortisol; WHR; abdominal fat; stress test; induced cortisol secretion; body-fat distribution; food-intake; anorexia-nervosa; obese women; restrained eaters; animal-model; glucocorticoids; neuroendocrine; comorbidity