be healthy

Karen Barrow

Medical reviewer:

Medically Reviewed On: December 09, 2005

Published on: December 09, 2005

What's your ultimate comfort food? A huge ice cream sundae dripping with hot fudge or a juicy, tender T-bone steak?

A new study, published in Physiology and Behavior, confirms the old stereotype: women tend to comfort themselves with sweet-tasting foods when they are feeling down. But it also reveals that men prefer meat as their comfort food. And unlike women, they eat mostly when they are feeling at their best.

"In the past, comfort food was considered primarily as a strategy to alleviate stress, sadness and other negative emotions," said Dr. Jordan LeBel, associate professor at Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration. "Ensuring emotional well-being is still the goal, but pleasure and positive emotions can also determine food choice, especially in men."

This new understanding of how men and women view food differently may help researchers better understand how our emotions may impact food choices.

Layer Cake or Meatloaf?
For the study, LeBel and colleagues used a Web-based survey to ask 277 men and women in Montreal, Canada about their comfort-food tendencies; they were asked to name their ideal comfort food and how they felt before and after eating it.

Overall, most women reported turning to sweets for comfort, while men preferred protein-rich foods. However, women were more likely to consume these foods when they were feeling blue, while the men ate when they were feeling happiest.

Not surprisingly, men and women had different emotions after eating, too.

LeBel found that if you're a young woman, eating a bowl of ice cream after a bad breakup may help you feel better, but men and older adults tend to show the most satisfaction from eating their favorite foods. This may be partially because young women more often have feelings of guilt after eating their favorite, calorie-rich foods.

"Women are more sensitive to health and diet issues for various reasons including social pressure," said LeBel.

And while sweets and fatty foods are better at helping to eliminate negative emotions, the researchers found that foods with fewer calories were best at increasing happiness and other positive feelings, especially in men. So, a favorite salad or fruit can also make you feel better, without the guilt.

"Comfort foods can be healthy and are not always high-fat and high-sugar combinations," LeBel added.

LeBel hopes that his work reminds people to slow down before they grab something out of the fridge. Comfort foods can help you feel better, but they don't need to be wolfed down to be effective.

"Whether you're eating fine, dark Swiss chocolate or a Snickers bar, slow down before you eat it," he said. "Don't grab the first thing that comes to mind, take the time to savor it and enjoy every bite."