Stressed Out? Chances Are, You Will Combat It With Food; You Man Won’t

When we are tired and got a lot of things to process what do we do to feel better? If you answered “Nutella”, welcome to the club! It is indeed scientifically proven that we women react to stress by seeking comfort in food, which, fortunately, does not happen to males.

It is said that men come from Mars and women from Venus precisely because we are different in many areas in life, including the search for anti-stress solutions.

This difference was studied by Northumbria University, more precisely by Dr. Louise Liddon who carried out a research to understand where and how we are looking for an immediate and effective solution to combat stress.

The doctor analyzed a sample of 347 people (115 men and 250 women) and presented the results of her research during the annual conference in Liverpool of the British Psychological Society’s Division of Clinical Psychology. The conclusion she came to is that on average women try to ease stress through the comfort of food while men prefer sex and pornography in general.

What is the best solution? The Doctor has no doubts, as much as chocolate makes us happy and satisfied, it is not comparable to the effect of sex on our body. When we make love, in fact, many more endorphins are released which produce a sensation of pleasure for our body and mind.

Why then do we women seek comfort in food? The answer is scientific and lies in a genetic difference between the two sexes: the Sry gene, involved in the development of the male sex, determines a different reaction in response to certain stimuli. For example, at the end of a very hard working day full of meetings and appointments our body is stimulated and pumps more blood, producing adrenaline and activating the adrenal glands that release catecholamines. These last ones activate within us a possible answer that can be “aggressive” or “escape”.

The strongest and most aggressive reaction is dominant in men, that of escape in women. This difference is the main reason why females try to “hide” in food while men seek an outlet for sex.

In short, men and women certainly come from two different planets but sex and food can have different meeting points to defeat stress after a long day, don’t you think?