I know this could be said of virtually any time in history but I am going to say it about today, right now, the economy is in terrible shape. We are constantly worried about gas prices which seem to be affecting the cost of everything in life, and the impact of financial problems just adds to the stress of daily living. There really is no way to get around the fact that we live in a stressful world. Now I want to tell you about something that you may not have thought of, stress can have a negative impact on your weight!

Before I go any further I want to say that I am not referring to the weight gain that may be attributed to side effects of some medications prescribed for stress and anxiety. Although that is a very real and legitimate concern for some people.

What I am talking about is the fact that many of us find relief from stress in food. I myself am guilty of this. I even refer to certain food dishes as comfort foods. This is not uncommon. Also not uncommon is the fact that my comfort foods are very fattening foods.

Admittedly some people do not eat when they are stressed or frustrated. Some people go the other extreme and actually lose weight because of the lack of interest in food.

Now I cannot say that my focus during a stressful event is food because it certainly is not but I can tell you that during phases of stressful periods I tend to eat more junk food and do less physical activity. That of course will result in weight gain.

Food diaries are an excellent way to track your eating tendencies. Along with jotting down what you eat, when you eat and how much be sure to include your mood at the time that you ate. It is also interesting to note how you feel after eating.

You may find that eating particular foods always results in you feeling joyful. If that is the case then you definitely need to include that food in your menu. On the other hand, you might find that eating some foods always makes you feel too full or even results in feelings of guilt. Obviously those are the foods that you should cut out of your menus.

With the economy going the way it is it will be interesting to watch the census data for the next few years. It is undeniable that most people are feeling more stress than usual so it is possible that the impact will show in the average weight.

I suggest that you use a food diary to find foods that are agreeable in all ways, low calorie and satisfying. Then eat those foods when you are feeling stressed. Yes I know, this is easier said than done.