Physiological responses to acute stress and the drive to eat: The impact of perceived life stress.

The stress-eating relationship is mediated by the release of cortisol from the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis. Variability in stress-induced eating, and consequently, obesity, may be explained in part by individual differences in chronic stress, which disrupts the regulatory effects of the HPA axis on stress-induced eating. A greater understanding of the physiological mechanisms by which chronic stress affects acute stress-induced eating is critical in order to inform efforts to prevent and treat obesity.