13 July 2006

How STRESS Affects Your Eating Habits

  1. Women who extend their working hours (overtime) "eat more high-fat and high-sugar snacks, exercise less, drink more caffeine and, if smokers, smoke more than their male colleagues."

  2. Working men who go on overtime, however, "has no negative impact on exercise, caffeine intake or smoking."

  3. For both sexes, the only thing good about working longer is this makes both "consume less alcohol."

  4. Stress here is described as "making a presentation, a meeting with the boss, or missing a deadline."

Read more from this Reuters article.

I wonder how stress affects the eating habits of resident doctors and medical interns. Working extended hours is a terrible understatement for the kind of work they give daily. Working extended days is more like it for them. Do they eat more junk food? Do they smoke more? Do they exercise less? Are they becoming overweight? My guess is NO. Whatever excess calories they consume are probably burned down by the heavy workload they do running throughout the hospital, resuscitating patients who go into cardiac arrest, following up lab results, and admitting more and more patients.

8 reactions:

may said...

a lot of the interns and residents eat their meal in the elevator. must be the ambiance, but they can usually finish a whole decent meal from the lobby to the 6th floor :)

nice new template too...

duke said...

When I was working , I found myself eating less not just because of the stress from the workload but due to the fact that I didn't find time to eat at all! :(

Roanne said...

i think i can concur with the stress factor. it really lessened my daily exercise routine. i rarely exercise right now. i also made myself eat a lot that's why i ought to have a liter of agua beside me and bring a wheat bread or other high-fiber food for my breakfast and merienda. :P as much as possible, i'm a once-a-week foilage eater. hahaha. been through a very vexing hyperacidity (or some undesirable stomachache cause) last week. now, i need some digestive cleansing and sodium bicarbonate. ha ha~!

manel said...

wow :) i like your new template! anyway, based from experience lang ah. 3 years of being in med school really made a difference. it doesnt matter how much u eat! u end up losing it anyways!!! well, i think im missing out on the proper food group distribution na. im eating less fruits and more carbs n sweets. kinda tough to watch your diet when ur so preoccupied with other things.

Moof said...

Dr. Emer, I get busy for less than a week, and then suddenly I think I'm on the wrong blog when I come to see you! ;o)

Very nice look! I like it!

By the way, that article is right on target.

j said...

he he, you're the doctor...how does working for extended hours affect you?

as for me, I don't excercise and true, I drink more coffee than the healthy dose :(

Ate Sienna said...

si bossing ko, emers, kasi nightshift na for the longest time, tumaba. kasi screwed up ang bio clock nya kaya ayun, pati pagkain screwed up. pero i vow that he'd lose some weight before we come home. pag nagpang-umaga na sya, i'm sure mababago na ang eating habits nya. Kaya????

Dr. Emer said...

MAY: Eating inside an elevator. I think that rates retty high on the stress meter.

DUKE: Missing out on meals is unhealthy, too.

ROANNE: Take care.

PSYCHE: 'Tough to go on a diet while in medschool. So true.

MOOF: Thanks, more changes are coming.

JAIRAM: You become stressed, of course. I miss out on meals, too.

ATE SIENNES: Kawawa naman ang medical personnel talaga. No better choices.