Comfort eating to cheer ourselves up is nothing new but it’s recently escalated among Millennials and Gen Zs. As negative political and economic news escalates on both sides of the Pond, ‘doom eating’ is on the rise and could lead to serious problems, warns a leading health expert.
If the US election result is making you depressed and the recent UK Budget left you feeling cash-strapped, you’re not alone. Many people on both sides of the Atlantic are feeling increasingly anxious about the state of politics, society and the economy. Rather than drawing in our horns and living more frugally, however, an increasing number of us are ‘doom eating’: gorging on our favourite fatty foods to give ourselves some much-needed cheer.
It’s now a discernible trend among Millennials (people born between around 1981-1996) and Gen Zs (people born between around 1997-2010). Many people in these age groups are getting a temporary boost from the feel-good chemicals in fatty foods but they are storing up future health problems, warns a leading expert.
Dr Avinash Hari Narayanan (MBChB), Clinical Lead at London Medical Laboratory, says: ‘Comfort eating is nothing new. However, there is increasing concern about doom eating, which is the self-soothing behaviour of consuming processed foods high in saturated fat to relieve psychological stress.
“Many younger people are in the habit of “doomscrolling”: watching endless negative and depressing news on TikTok and other social media sites. It’s all too easy to then resort to doom eating with a takeaway or a tub of ice cream.
“The TikTok #stresseating trend, where users show themselves tucking into fast or fatty foods to relieve stress, is often presented humorously and reveals just how common this way of coping with modern pressures has become. It also gives a false sense of safety in numbers. Just because many other people are indulging in stress eating doesn’t mean it’s okay.
“Historically, it’s always been older people who were believed to have high cholesterol, with levels peaking in their 60s and 70s. Now we know that millions of far younger people are most at risk – and it’s a situation that’s growing.
“Recent research by Our Future Health reveals 43% of Millennials have high cholesterol, which is, astonishingly, higher than the 39% of over-80s who suffer from it. That’s a surprising reversal of historical trends. Additionally, 27% of 20-29 year olds have high cholesterol already and that figure is rising.
“It’s likely that fast foods are playing a big role in pushing up LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels among Millennials. This age group has been brought up in the era of microwave meals and junk food deliveries. It’s easy to turn to these foods at times of stress or depression. Older Brits, in contrast, are less in the habit of ordering fast food deliveries high in saturated fat, which means their cholesterol levels are proportionately lower than many younger age groups.
“Eating too many processed foods containing saturated fat can lead to high cholesterol levels. Foods partially responsible for increasing LDL (low-density lipoprotein) levels are exactly the ones we feel like turning to in times of stress, including:
“High cholesterol is a major underlying cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of death worldwide, often leading to heart attacks and strokes. In England, high cholesterol leads to over 7% of all deaths.
“It’s also surprising that fewer Brits in their 60s (63%) have higher cholesterol than those in their 50s (67%). It means Britain’s so-called Generation X (people born between 1965–1980) are now at higher risk of blocked arteries than Baby Boomers, the post-war generation bought up on fewer high-fat foods.
“Clearly, there is an urgent need for more cholesterol level testing to identify who is at risk, across all age groups. With GP surgeries extremely busy at this time of year, it’s important to recognise that there are alternatives. Fortunately, there are tests people who are tempted to indulge in doom eating can take to measure and control their cholesterol levels.
“London Medical Laboratory’s offers a range of tests which include cholesterol level analysis, including a comprehensive Well Person test which also includes a full blood count and measures liver and kidney function, bone and muscle health, diabetes and thyroid function. Alternatively, an inexpensive and convenient home finger-prick Cholesterol Profile test measures total cholesterol, LDL “bad cholesterol”, HDL “good” cholesterol, non-HDL (a newly adopted, more accurate, measure) and other key markers including triglyceride levels. Triglycerides are a type of fat that your body uses for energy. However, high levels of triglycerides can be harmful to your health.”
The test can be taken at home through the post, or at one of the many drop-in clinics that offer these tests across London and nationwide in over 120 selected pharmacies and health stores. For full details, see: https://www.londonmedicallaboratory.com/product/cholesterol-profile
