The impact of perceived stress on US millennials' external and emotional eating behavior

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify the relationship between Millennials' perceived stress and their external and emotional eating behaviors. Furthermore, the moderating effect of nutritional knowledge on the relationship between perceived stress and emotional eating and perceived stress and external eating of US Millennials was tested.Design/methodology/approachData was collected from 649 Millennials between the ages of 18 and 35 in the United States, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed to test the study hypotheses.FindingsThis study extends the literature and provides further insights into the relationship between US Millennials' eating behavior and stress factors. Perceived stress positively influenced Millennials' emotional and external eating behavior, and nutritional knowledge significantly moderated the relationships between perceived stress and emotional eating and perceived stress and external eating.Research limitations/implicationsFirst, data was collected from Millennials living in the United States. Second, not all of the predictors, save one (perceived stress), were selected and hypothesized as predictors of Millennials' eating behavior. The paper provides the essential psychological elements of US Millennials' eating behavior.Originality/valueIf unbalanced eating and obesity are the result of negative psychological factors, the recommended diet models or physical exercise by themselves may be less effective at combating obesity and related health issues. This is because stress was found to be a highly significant reason for unbalanced eating, new and more practical stress coping strategies are needed to moderate unbalanced eating behavior.

Consequences of the COVID-19 Syndemic for Nutritional Health: A Systematic Review

“…Another explanation could be that this behavior is a response to emotional states related to anxiety produced by home confinement [ 47 ]. Similarly, developing external eating behavior during isolation can be an external motivational response to stress, since this behavior occurs when individuals under stress are in the same environment with food, being affected by its smell and appearance [ 48 , 49 ]. Thus, it can be thought that the confinement at home and easy access to food has created a favorable environment for people eating more, especially those who previously were stigmatized for their body weight.…”

Generation Y's dining out behavior

“…A generation analysis revealed that Generation Yers perform physical exercises to improve their health status, physical appearance, strength, endurance and managing their weight (Egli et al, 2011). Generation Yers are also more conscious of the advantages of wholesome food, healthy eating and wellness than other generations (Okumus and Ozturk, 2020). Recent industry surveys (i.e.…”

“…Despite the prominence of Millennials in the US restaurant industry, little research has solely been conducted about their dining out behaviors. Existing studies on Millennials and their food and beverage consumption behaviors has focused on food trucks (Yoon and Chung, 2018), menu information preferences (Hammond et al, 2013), food choices and technology (Saulo, 2016;Okumus et al, 2018;Okumus and Ozturk, 2020), and cooking preferences (Namin et al, 2020). Against this backdrop, the current research specifically aims to study Gen Y's dining out preferences to comprehend changes in views over time and document technological, economic and social shifts across this generational cohort.…”

“…Solid data from within the industry and academia on dining preferences will help restaurants create the best strategies for the future and ensure an increase in the revenues of eating out businesses (Foodinside.org, 2018;Saksena et al, 2018). Generation Y has been the theme of a broad investigation across different fields however, academic research about food and service preferences and the eating behavior of this generation is still sparse (Okumus and Ozturk, 2020). Understanding consumer preferences and consumer segments in a market-based economy is crucial and some broad assessments have been done to understand these needs and preferences (Bass and Talarzyyk, 1972;Rosenbaum et al, 2015;Okumus et al, 2021).…”

Effects of Game Situation-Dependent Emotions on Sport Spectators’ Food Craving

“…Given that food intake functions to narrow down human's cognitive attention to immediate and pleasurable objectives (i.e., food), food craving under stressful circumstances is considered to be part of a fundamental aspect of human nature that seeks to reduce the consumer's psychophysiological burden(Okumus and Ozturk, 2021). 2 Food craving is defined as "an intense desire to consume a specific food" (Rodriguez-Martin and Meule, 2015, p. 1).…”