Comfort Eating and it Impact of Diet and Weight Gain (1 CME Point)
This presentation will introduce the concept of comfort- or emotional – eating, and it’s relationship to stress and individual vulnerability. It will provide a critical evaluation of evidence linking comfort eating to energy-dense food choices and weight gain. Potential mechanistic pathways at both behavioural, brain and neuroendocrine levels will be described. Suggestions for screening for susceptibility to comfort eating and ways to mitigate against its likely impact on dietary health and weight management will be discussed.
Speakers
Dr Leigh Gibson
Leigh Gibson is an Associate Professor in Biopsychology, and Registered Nutritionist, in the School of Psychology, University of Roehampton, London. After a BSc in Psychology and Physiology at the University of London, and a PhD and post-doc at the School of Psychology, University of Birmingham on biopsychological influences on food choice and appetite, Leigh held research posts at the Institutes of Neurology and Psychiatry, and UCL. Leigh is currently President of the Food and Health Forum, Royal Society of Medicine. His research aims to understand processes controlling people’s habitual diet, and their interactions with stress, health, cognitive and emotional well-being.