#54: How do I help my kid with stress eating?
with A. Janet Tomiyama, PhD
In this episode we discuss…
a listener question from a parent worried her child is eating un-intuitively by “stress eating” daily after school
Dr. Tomiyama’s research on stress and eating, dieting, and the physical health consequences of fat shaming
how researchers have defined “comfort eating” differently
why negative responses to comfort eating can have roots in fat phobia
rat studies and why humans aren’t the only species who comfort eat to dampen their stress levels
why comfort eating can be a useful coping skill and shouldn’t be moralized
the downsides of turning to comfort eating to cope
research on the longterm impact of stigmatizing comments about weight
the value of focusing on eating, exercise, stress, and sleep rather than weight
looking at the role food rules and restriction could play in behavior that seems like stress eating
a study exploring whether people can condition themselves to associate different types of foods with stress reduction
why comfort eating is a conditioned behavior
how to reduce stress in the first place
dr. tomiyama’s answer to the million dollar question
We’re joined by health psychologist Dr. A. Janet Tomiyama this week to respond to a listener’s question about her child stress eating every afternoon after school. (And in these stressful times, this question feels more timely than ever!) What is stress eating, and how should we approach it as parents? We learn about Dr. Tomiyama’s research findings, explore how the research applies to real life, and identify strategies for coping with stress that kids and parents alike can put into practice today.
A. Janet Tomiyama, PhD is Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles and Director of the DIeting, Stress, and Health (DiSH) laboratory. She received her B.A. in Psychology from Cornell University in 2001 and her Ph.D. in Social Psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles in June of 2009, and completed a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health & Society Scholar Fellowship jointly at the University of California San Francisco and Berkeley. Her work has been recognized by early career awards from the Association for Psychological Science, the Society for Behavioral Medicine, and the Society for Health Psychology. Her research focuses on the biobehavioral and health consequences of stress, dieting, comfort eating, and weight stigma.
Connect with Dr. Tomiyama on the DiSH lab’s website, Twitter, and Facebook.
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