APA SURVEY SHOWS HOLIDAY STRESS PUTTING WOMEN'S HEALTH AT RISK
WASHINGTON (December 11, 2006)—Nearly half of all women in the United States experience heightened stress during the holidays at great risk to the health of their minds and bodies, according to a national survey released today by the American Psychological Association (APA). Compared to previous surveys on stress, APA found that women are actually doing less to address the increased stress of the holiday season. Despite repeated warnings about the effects of stress on both psychological and physical health, women are relying more on unhealthy behaviors to manage stress during the holidays and the rest of the year.
Juggling work and added family responsibilities, such as planning for holiday gatherings, shopping for gifts and cooking leave most women feeling like they can't take time to relax during the crunch to get everything done for the holidays. Survey findings show that added holiday stress, on top of already disproportionately high stress levels in women year round, makes it hard for women to relax. This increases the likelihood that they will turn to unhealthy behaviors like using food to deal with stress (41 percent) or drinking alcohol (28 percent).
"People who cope with stress by engaging in unhealthy behaviors and lifestyle, regardless of the time of year, may alleviate symptoms of stress in the short term, but end up creating significant health problems in the long run, and, ironically, more stress," says Russ Newman, PhD, JD, executive director for professional practice, APA. "Research shows that stress, and the unhealthy behaviors people use to manage it, contribute to some of our country's biggest health problems such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes. So it's imperative that people take steps to address issues like holiday stress in healthier ways."
A national stress survey conducted by APA in January 2006 found that, during the year, 31 percent of women turn to food to manage stress compared to 19 percent of men. The holiday stress survey, conducted by APA in October 2006, showed that comfort eating rises by ten percent at the holidays as a source of stress relief for women (versus a six percent increase for men), indicating that holiday pressures are having an impact on women's behaviors.
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