# Biobehavioral Factors and their Impact on Stress-Related Eating in Obesity

> **NIH NIH R01** · SANFORD RESEARCH NORTH · 2021 · $729,567

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Elucidating the biobehavioral factors that lead to problematic eating, and ultimately increase the risk for weight
gain, is critically needed given the epidemic of obesity in the United States. While the relationship between
stress and problematic eating has been well-established, other factors that impact this association remain poorly
understood. One important variable that appears to impact the stress-eating relationship is the manner in which
one responds to stressful situations. Stress reactivity is commonly assessed by the manner in which cortisol
changes in response to a stressor. For those who tend to be highly reactive to stress, in moments of high stress,
they appear to be more likely to overeat. Evidence suggests that the gut microbiota influences stress reactivity,
and this appears to be an important biological factor that influences the stress-eating relationship. Additionally,
individuals who place a high reward value on food may be more impacted in moments of stress and may
ultimately overeat or make problematic food choices in those instances. In this study, we propose to pair
biological and behavioral assessment to examine the novel Biobehavioral Model of Stress-Related Eating.
Through a combined laboratory and naturalistic approach, we will investigate the extent to which specific taxa
and genes of the gut microbiota, stress reactivity, and the reward value of food moderate the stress-eating
relationship. Through this multi-method approach, we will also use a combination of momentary and daily
assessment to collect real-time data on stress and its association with dietary intake. This study will overcome
limitations of prior research through its use of momentary data collection and novel pairing of biological and
behavioral variables. Elucidating key factors that lead to problematic eating in moments of high stress has the
potential to lead to personalized treatment approaches for weight reduction and the prevention of obesity.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10336861
- **Project number:** 1R01DK130926-01
- **Recipient organization:** SANFORD RESEARCH NORTH
- **Principal Investigator:** SCOTT G ENGEL
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $729,567
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-09-21 → 2025-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10336861

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10336861, Biobehavioral Factors and their Impact on Stress-Related Eating in Obesity (1R01DK130926-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10336861. Licensed CC0.

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