A recent Nielsen survey showing a spike in the sales of snack foods and instant potatoes lends credence to the contention of dietitians and psychologists that Americans are turning to food to ease the stress of a post-Sept. 11 world. Though the professionals admit it's a bit hard to measure the phenomenon, they say the anecdotal evidence is everywhere, and point out that the No. 1 predictor of diet failure is stress. Kim Almquist is philosophical about admitting she self-medicates with candy: "What's one more chocolate? It seems a little strange to be obsessing about something like that when there's so much more going on." At least the country's love affair with food remains intact.
In Times of Terror: Binge!
A recent Nielsen survey showing a spike in the sales of snack foods and instant potatoes lends credence to the contention of dietitians and psychologists that Americans are turning to food to ease the stress of a post-Sept. 11 world. Though the professionals admit it's a bit hard to measure the phenomenon, they say the anecdotal evidence is everywhere, and point out that the No. 1 predictor of diet failure is stress. Kim Almquist is philosophical about admitting she self-medicates with candy: "What's one more chocolate? It seems a little strange to be obsessing about something like that when there's so much more going on." At least the country's love affair with food remains intact.
