Chronic stress and obesity: A new view of "comfort food"

1. Mary F. Dallman*,
2. Norman Pecoraro,
3. Susan F. Akana,
4. Susanne E. la Fleur,
5. Francisca Gomez,
6. Hani Houshyar,
7. M. E. Bell,
8. Seema Bhatnagar,
9. Kevin D. Laugero, and
10. Sotara Manalo

Communicated by Bruce S. McEwen, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, July 28, 2003 (received for review May 14, 2003)

Abstract

The effects of adrenal corticosteroids on subsequent adrenocorticotropin secretion are complex. Acutely (within hours), glucocorticoids (GCs) directly inhibit further activity in the hypothalamo–pituitary–adrenal axis, but the chronic actions (across days) of these steroids on brain are directly excitatory. Chronically high concentrations of GCs act in three ways that are functionally congruent. (i) GCs increase the expression of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) mRNA in the central nucleus of the amygdala, a critical node in the emotional brain. CRF enables recruitment of a chronic stress-response network.

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Do you think that stress leads to overeating, or are people who overeat more likely to get stressed?