Research paper
Epel E, Lapidus R, McEwen B, Brownell K. Stress may add bite to appetite in women: a laboratory study of stress-induced cortisol and eating behavior. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2001;26(1):37-49. doi:10.1016/S0306-4530(00)00035-4. PMID: 11070333.
Why we cite it
Laboratory study providing direct experimental evidence linking cortisol reactivity to stress-induced eating. By exposing 59 healthy premenopausal women to both stress and control sessions on different days, the within-subject design isolated the stress-specific effect: high cortisol reactors consumed more calories only on stress days, not control days. The finding that high reactors preferentially chose sweet foods suggests cortisol drives not just quantity but also quality of stress-induced eating. Referenced in companion 416 as evidence for the cortisol-appetite link.