This study also showed that women were effected more by these factors than men and that they reacted differently to situations. .
Suzannah Olivier, who published a study in The Times (2001), concluded in her research that eating unhealthy snacks when stressed could lead to serious diseases, which were a direct result from a person becoming overweight. This study speculated that stress leads to people overindulging themselves with fatty foods and other snacks to cope with different situations that increase the level of stress in their life. Although Olivier's research didn't involve body image as a variable, one can see how the variables used might alter a person's self-esteem and personal image of themselves. .
According to Psychology Today's 1997 Body Image Survey, more people are dissatisfied with their bodies today than ever before. Respondents were asked to fill a five-page questionnaire on how they saw their body, how they felt, and how their bodies influenced them. These same respondents labeled body image as their physical appearance or attraction and said that it psychologically influenced their behavior and self-esteem. The heaviest people were also found to be the most unhappy with themselves Body image is much more than our outside appearance; it also involves our mental representation of ourselves (Garner, 1997). .
Patricia King, a writer in the LA Times, found in her research that frayed nerves increase desires for carbohydrates and fat. Eating habits were worsened when people were stressed, which lead to food binges and weight gain. According to Alice Dumar, a professor at Harvard Medical School and director of the Mind/Body Center for Women's Health at a medical center in Boston, women were more likely to stuff themselves when they were anxious and more likely to feel guilty about it and men were more satisfied with their bodies than women. Weight also played a less important role in shaping men's feelings about their bodies (King, 2002).
