Surprise: Comfort Foods Not The Given Stressed Pick
Sep 23rd, 2009 | By admin | Category: Diet & Nutrition, Featured, Stress ManagementConventional wisdom holds that when we’re stressed, we automatically reach for our favorite comfort food, that culinary item that always seems to satisfy and make the day cheerier. Not so fast, say researchers.
A new study (a group of studies, actually) appearing in the Journal of Consumer Research shows that just the opposite is the case. When people are stressed, they tend to gravitate towards less-familiar foods.
In the first study, participants were told about a person who was described as either being in an extremely stable life situation or in the midst of many changes. Researchers asked them to predict whether these people would choose a popular American potato chip or an unknown British potato “crisp” in exotic flavors like Camembert and Plum. The participants thought the stable person would have more time and energy to try new things and would choose the new item.
Then in a separate choice study, researchers asked participants to rate the level of change in their own lives and then to choose snacks. Those experiencing more change chose the newer snacks. “This result is called the ‘comfort food fallacy’ effect. It does not say that comfort foods are not enjoyable, but rather that we don’t seem to seek them out when we think we do. Contrary to our expectations, comfort foods appear to be chosen more often in comfortable times.”
The study also carried over into other categories such as movies and music preferences.
Bottom line: Feeling stressed out? Try something new!
Source: Science Daily
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