Eating our feelings isn’t just an expression, researchers at Michigan State University released a study that found we turn to unhealthy foods to help relegate our mood.
But the study also found that a good night's sleep can help circumvent those unhealthy choices.
The study looked at 235 Chinese workers and measured the relationship between stress, sleep, and unhealthy eating.
Researchers say they expect the study would find similar results regardless of nationality.
Daisy Chang is a co-author on the study. She says parts of the study were intuitive.
“What we found is that when employees have a more than usual stressful work day they tend to opt for more unhealthy choices for food and they also tend to overeat.”
Chang said the study shows stress lowers our self control.
“If we can’t exercise self control to think about what we eat and think about the amount that we eat sometimes we just let it go by the wayside.”
Chang said they found good, quality sleep could reduce stress related eating.
“Our study looked at the quality. Did you have restful sleep? If you had a restful sleep then that would better help you to cope with the work stress.”
Chang said the study suggests providing food to employees could backfire as a way for increasing office health.