HPA axis response to stress predicts short-term snack intake in obese women

Bradley M. Appelhans*, Sherry L. Pagoto, Erica N. Peters, Bonnie J. Spring

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

42 Scopus citations

Abstract

Prior research has linked heightened cortisol reactivity to stress with increased food consumption. This pilot study tested corollaries of the hypothesis that cortisol stress reactivity promotes obesity. Thirty-four lean and obese women completed an acute stress task and a non-stressful control task in counterbalanced order. Contrary to expectations, higher post-stress cortisol was associated with decreased post-stress snack intake in obese women but was unrelated to snack intake in lean women. Stress also blunted an expected rise in hunger only among obese women. Findings suggest that some obese women may be more sensitive to short-term anorectic effects of HPA axis activation.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)217-220
Number of pages4
JournalAppetite
Volume54
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 2010

Keywords

  • Cortisol
  • Eating behavior
  • HPA axis
  • Stress

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Nutrition and Dietetics
  • General Psychology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'HPA axis response to stress predicts short-term snack intake in obese women'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this