Acute stress suppresses appetite — fight-or-flight prioritizes survival over digestion. Chronic stress has the opposite effect. Research by Dallman shows elevated cortisol increases appetite, especially for calorie-dense foods, and promotes abdominal fat storage. Short-term crises make eating difficult; long-term stress makes overeating automatic.
This companion covers the acute response, chronic response, evolutionary reasoning, modern mismatch, and breaking the pattern. (3 min read)
Written by AI, directed and approved by me. How this is made →