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DOCTOR’S CORNER
“There’s a broad idea (in Research has shown that comfort foods
are consumed any time people are
psychology) that people can experiencing extremes in emotion—
either up or down moods. Festive
feel a sense of connection to reunions with family and friends can
justify overindulgence in people’s minds.
things that aren’t actually According to a professor of psychology
at Sewanee University, “There’s a broad
people. Comfort food does this idea (in psychology) that people can
feel a sense of connection to things that
trick for us. It seems to operate aren’t actually people. Comfort food
does this trick for us. It seems to operate in a way that makes
in a way that makes people feel people feel socially connected.”
”socially connected. Comfort food can be an antidote for loneliness. Connecting
mentally with earlier better times is the premise of “chicken soup
between food and comfort. The connection between our for the soul.” An experiment performed at Sewanee University
stomachs and our brains is complex. There are at least two screened student subjects to see if chicken noodle soup was a
hormones released by the stomach and digestive tract when we preexisting comfort food. About half of the subject students
fill up with food. Leptin and cholecystokinin released by the agreed that chicken soup made them feel comfortable and the
stomach and gall bladder, respectively, enter the blood stream other half were neutral to this soup. Then both groups were
and communicate with the brain signally that our appetite is served chicken soup and asked to do some word association
being satiated. to assess their spirits. The chicken soup “positive” group had
more of a sense of belonging, and picked more words out of a
This good feeling adds to the unconscious desire to consume list which signaled strong interpersonal relationships than the
foods and make ourselves comfortable. Just watch a baby “neutral” chicken soup group.
being comforted as he/she is being fed, changed, wrapped,
and encouraged to nap. These activities are part of the cycle of The amount of comfort food we need to be happy has also
growing up. Sadly, we lose the opportunity to nap after every been studied. As it turns out, we need far less than we usually
meal as we grow up. consume in order to be satisfied. Being aware of portion size
is one of the common traits of people who live to be 100, as
There is a physiological term, “post prandial alkalosis,” which shown in the Blue Zones Study which is now being embraced
may also explain some of the desire to sleep after eating. This in Southwest Florida.
physiological feeling of being full and satiated—along with
an overall good mood after a holiday or celebratory meal— A recent book, Slim by Design: Mindless Eating Solutions
reinforces our desire to return to comfort foods which, in turn, for Everyday Life, observes that not being exposed to excessive
increases our desire to consume more comfort food. This cycle portions removes much of the desire and behavior to overeat.
based on mental and physical reinforcement is powerful, hard For instance, if you are offered just two Hershey’s kisses
to break, and may be at the root of some of our nation’s obesity instead of a handful of them, that can cause you to reshape
problems. your expectations and be content with the smaller portion. I
suspect just the opposite is true with buffets, where the strong
Food doesn’t just sustain us nutritionally by providing temptation is to consume excessively.
necessary proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals and vitamins.
Food nourishes us emotionally also. For instance, in preparing Security, reward, and connectedness are three feelings which
for hurricane season in southwest Florida, we follow capture our unconscious reasons to stay connected to comfort
recommendations for such staples as bottled water. But many foods. Ask almost everyone what some of their favorite comfort
folks add comfort foods such as packaged cookies, candy bars or foods are, and the examples they share will relate to these warm
sweetened cereals. The potential stress of the storm needs relief feelings.
with comfortable, portable, “instant” food.
So the next time you need a lift, feel lonely, or unhappy,
There are some commonly held beliefs about comfort food consider comforting yourself with and connecting to the
which have recently been disproven. The psychology behind security of your favorite comfort food. Go ahead, enjoy that
comfort food is more complicated than you might think. piece of chocolate cake. ( Just watch the portion size!)
Life in Naples | March 2015 47
