Stress-snacking could be jeopardizing the health and well-being of 15million women across the UK, according to a new survey released today, in which almost half of women questioned (44%) admitted to over-eating when stressed. Worryingly, ten per cent of female respondents to the survey – commissioned by natural stress relief remedy Kalms - also said they’d lashed out physically to hurt themselves or someone else.
 
Although the majority of women only feel stressed once or twice a week, 20% claimed they felt stressed every day or all the time – compared to just 12% of men.
 
While many would assume long office hours and pressure to perform in the workplace to be major factors, the real stress hotspots are in fact at home, with almost two thirds (58%) naming family feuds, relationship issues and having kids as the most stressful things in a woman’s life.
 
The women surveyed, however, put money worries – traditionally the domain of the man – ahead of family problems, whereas men thought concerns about appearance were women’s third major cause of stress – despite it barely registering on the female respondents’ stress scales.
 
While women tend to overeat, men are more likely to hit the bottle, with around a third (33%) claiming stress had led them to drink to excess and almost a quarter (23%) admitting to driving recklessly when stressed.
 

Getting stuck in traffic (26%) and being late (19%) were named as the top day-to-day stresses for men and women respectively, while 14% of people thought that losing personal items like keys caused the most stress. Both men and women named 35 as the most stressful age for a woman.
 
Psychologist Donna Dawson says: “There are a great many things in our lives which can stress us out, but ‘stress’ caused by other people is the most complicated kind, because it is difficult to deal with in a straightforward way. This is because ‘stress’ may be coming from dependents like children, or from other family members where emotional involvement clouds the picture. And it is the way in which we handle stress that is the key.
 
“The survey revealed that we tend to ‘internalise’ stress by over-eating or drinking, which has a negative effect on health and well-being - while our only attempt at actively working it out appears to be aggressive confrontation.
 
“The positive way to deal with stress is to recognise what is ‘stressing us’, try to talk about it, and to find a workable solution to it. Solutions may include better communication with others, a change in attitude, taking more exercise to work it off, allowing ourselves more ‘me’ time, and taking better care of ourselves in the way of diet and sleep habits.”
 
Stephanie Stelling, spokesperson for the stress relief remedy Kalms, adds: “It’s worrying to see that women are suffering such extreme reactions to stress and that so many seem to feel under constant pressure. We know that a little bit of stress is useful but too much can really affect your lifestyle for the worse. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to combat daily stress. A natural, effective remedy such as Kalms that helps relieve periods of stress and irritability can help, and the Kalms website www.kalmsstress.com also has useful tips on how to deal with all kinds of stressful situations.”