Women with stressorexia strive to be sexy for their husbands, good mothers, and successful in their careers. The drive to have it all often leaves them stressed out, anxious, and too exhausted to take care of themselves. They neglect proper eating, and can experience dramatic weight loss.

While not yet an Eating Disorder categorized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, a text published by the American Psychiatric Association that provides diagnostic criteria for mental disorders, symptoms of stressorexia are prevalent among modern women in their late 20s to 40s with overwhelming, demanding workloads.

Stressorexia can start with a few missed lunches to meet deadlines, but its origins may not be limited to time constraints.

When anxious, the brain releases Corticotropin-releasing hormone which regulates the nervous system’s response to stress. This can cause loss of appetite. Additionally, the release of adrenaline accelerates metabolism which burns additional calories.

Stressorexics can also experience depression, extreme fatigue, irritability, and headaches.

Prioritizing self-care, planning and eating healthy meals, and noshing are positive suggestions for dealing with stressorexia, though some sufferers may require professional help to make permanent changes in their thinking and eating patterns.

Further research is needed to determine if stressorexia is indeed an Eating Disorder.

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