Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
A lot of people love to eat. A fact that is agreeable to all human because eating is the best part of the day and having a great meal makes one’s life wonderful. The love for food is part of the human nature, from the very moment he was born; he was nourished and rewarded by food. It is a solution to resolve hunger or to satisfy their cravings.
According to an article "Why We Love Food" by Martha Brockenbrough, food is our partner in life that we can never be apart with. But it’s a complicated relationship for humans, being in love with food may results us to have issues on our eating habits.
Martha said: "It might be the most complex relationship in your life, which explains why a poll of more than 6,000 Women's Health readers found that nearly 30 percent feel stressed about food—every...single...day" (http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/relationship-with-food?page=1).
Even though they know the outcomes of loving food, still, food always makes people crave. People have this desire to devour a specific food which yet unlikely to fulfill hunger. Making people want something resulting to eagerness to have the taste of delight they are craving for.
The article "Why We Crave" by Janice Curtine, explains the reasons why human crave for food, there are scientific explanations such as its because of the amino acid the food has or the food that contains gluten, fat, and chemicals or additives.
According to Janice:"...cravings can be caused by many things and they come from our brain. Brain chemicals regulate thoughts and obsessions about food... Recent research finds that toxins in foods and other chemicals in the environment do more than just cause cravings—they also alter our hormones and our own innate slimming mechanism. Paula Baillie-Hamilton, MD, PhD, focuses on organochlorines, such as pesticides. In her book, Toxic Overload, she reveals studies showing that the higher the level of these chemicals in the body, the greater the body weight will be" (http://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/why-we-crave/).
However, some crave for food because of their emotional state. During the moments that people are stressed, emotional, or even delighted, they seek for something great to eat. This turns to the significance of comfort food, they are looking for something to eat that will comfort the feelings their having. According to ”The Psychology behind Comfort Food” by Ryan Chang of Spoon University, the significance of comfort food is that it has the power to enlighten ones mood and that these work by creating positive and negative reinforcement, a process of conditioning that affect our brain to consume more of and crave for these comforting foods.
Chang stated: “…when we eat food, we receive positive reinforcement by obtaining physical sustenance along with great flavors and taste. Positive reinforcement is when we receive something, which leads us to want to continue the action that caused the effect (more happiness).... we also receive negative reinforcement when we eat food to relieve stress, and we begin to associate eating comfort food with the lessening of a burden. Negative reinforcement is when something is taken away, which leads us to want to continue the action that caused the effect (less stress). After a period of time, our minds will be trained to seek out food as a way to deal with our problems in life. This process causes us to crave food, creating the idea of “comfort food” (http://cal.spoonuniversity.com/2014/11/07/psychology-behind-comfort-food/).
People find comfort in eating. For them, food has the power to change one’s mood. When a person eats the food he craved or any of his favorite food, his mood will be enlighten and be changed. Mainly, People have this idea that the food they crave will comfort them and give them better feeling.
Most people think that food can comfort them. However, most of them have no idea that comfort food has no significance in enlighten ones mood.
Some people tend to believe in things that are unjustifiable, even to the things that have irrational explanations. Hence a lot of people have different ideas about comfort food and have lack of knowledge regarding to this matter. This paper allows the readers to know the different concept of comfort food and mistakes people believe in.
Comfort food itself has different aspects; nevertheless, this paper focuses on the explanation behind the notion of comfort food.
B. Statement of the problem
This study aims to answer this question:
1. What are the explanation behind the notion of comfort food?
C. Significance of the Study
Emotional Eaters. This research paper will help the emotional eaters to fully understand the reasons why they seek comfort to the food they eat and help them to overcome the reality about comfort food.
Young Adult. Since most of young adults seek for food that will comfort them from their stress and heavy feelings, this study will help most of the them to gain knowledge regarding to the ideas they believe in and the reasons why most of them crave for something to eat.
Future Researchers. Studying comfort food is very exciting, knowing different explanations and information about comfort food. It is essential to the future researchers to make this same study because there will be new researchers that will add up to the information in regards to this topic.
D. Scope and Delimitation
This study focuses on the facts regarding comfort food and the reality behind it. Since nowadays people tend to patronized food just to overcome the stress and the heavy feelings that they are having.
Since Comfort food is a broad topic, this study will no longer discuss other information regarding comfort food such as the food that were considered as comfort food or the what are the different healthy and convenient comfort food to eat. This is to emphasize the facts why people have the idea of eating the food they crave will comfort them and the reality hidden behind it.
E. Material and Method
The information of this study were gathered from different references such as online articles and researches.
This is a descriptive study for more concrete and concise detail and information. There will be an author's interpretation regarding to the topic discussed.
F. Definition of terms
1. Comfort Food - These are the food that people want to have in the belief that eating these food will enlighten their heavy feeling or release their mind from stress.
2. Emotional Eating - a form of disordered eating, is defined as “an increase in food intake in response to negative emotions” and can be considered a maladaptive strategy used to cope with difficult feelings. More specifically, emotional eating would qualify as a form of emotion-focused coping, which attempts to minimize, regulate and prevent emotional distress (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emotional_eating).
3. Food Cravings - These are the food people desire to eat and very eager too have the taste of these food.
Chapter 2
DISCUSSION
I. Facts about comfort food
People believe that food can comfort them, that food is one thing that will enlighten their feelings and mood. Every time people are feeling down, food is one of the top thing that their looking for, food that is sweet or even salty and fatty food.
In an article entitled “The Psychology behind Comfort Food” written by Ryan Chang, explained the psychological reasoning why people think that comfort food comforts them. According to Chang, the significance of comfort food is to enlighten ones mood by creating a positive reinforcement, just like people getting positive reinforcement. Having something they want and lead to enjoyment and continue doing an action, this is commonly used to children; parents give something they want to eat just to continue and improve the great things they do.
People are also getting negative reinforcement in regards with food, this is when they seek comfort from food whenever they are feeling down and stressed and they begin to associate food from lessening stress and unhappy feeling, and leads them to eat more because food tend to lessen their burden and that started the people to seek food for comfort.
Chang said: “The process of conditioning affects our brains in other ways that encourage the consumption of comfort food. For example, food that is associated with fond memories can bring happiness by enabling you to relive these memories. Similarly, a food associated with a certain person (say, Grandma’s apple pie) can become a comfort food that reminds you of someone you cherish. All these separate factors contribute to amplify your desires and cravings for your specific comfort foods”( http://cal.spoonuniversity.com/2014/11/07/psychology-behind-comfort-food/).
This explains why people tend to believe in comfort food can comfort them, because of the psychological effects of food to humans. Food are associated with happy and enjoyable memories that is why every time people seek for comfort they look for something to eat that remind them the enthusiastic events happened to them and food symbolizes delightful moments.
The article, “Comfort food Improve Moods” by Deborah Serani tackled about the psychological effect of food to humans. Mentioned here that the food that are associated with good thoughts improves feelings and decreases the feeling of loneliness. Food is a chemical compound that communicates with the body and it is a compound that affects brains too, because balancing your meals also balanced your brains.
According to Serani, “When you're living with depression, it's important to know that there's also a physiological influence to the food you consume. The chemical structure of what you eat communicates with your body, which can affect cognitsion, influence mood and physical body states” (https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/two-takes-depression/201104/comfort-foods-improve-moods).
This means foods are like a drug that can change your mental and physical being. That there are elements of the food you consume has the characteristics that can change your mood and influences your physical body.
II. Facts how comfort food works
The most common foods that are considered comforting are those sweet, salty and fatty foods. Most people tend to crave for sweet delicious taste of strawberry cake, vanilla ice cream or even chocolates; some crave for greasy food such as burgers, fries, or chips. According to an article, “Why do people find fatty or sugary food comforting?” by Alice, that our cravings for these tastes are influenced by our ancestors. These ancestors have no knowledge about the scientific explanations of these foods; they only knew that if they eat something sweet it gives them energy while salty food give minerals we needed.
Alice said: "Though humans have inherent preferences for sweet and salty flavors, comfort food choices vary because we are influenced by individual psychological factors that result from life experiences. Even though each of us is born into a unique food environment that is dependent on climate, economy, and culture, studies have shown that women in the United States generally prefer sweet, snack-type foods. This may be the result of pleasant feelings being associated with foods that were served as dessert, as the reward for eating dinner, or for happy occasions, such as parties or holidays. Men tend to prefer salty, meal-type foods, such as mashed potatoes. Meal-type foods might have positive connotations for men because they were lovingly prepared by their mothers and grandmothers. The identification of meal- over snack-type comfort food preferences increases in both genders as they age" (http://goaskalice.columbia.edu/why-do-people-find-fatty-or-sugary-foods-comforting).
Food became comforting because of our experience. Even though we have were born in different food environment, studies have shown that women are feeling relieved from stress by eating sweets which reminds them a happy memories such as holidays while salty food reminds men the food served by their mothers. Furthermore, there comfort food preference increases as time pass.
B. Comfort food works because of its fatty acid
“Why Comfort Foods Works” is an article written by Malgret Aldrich which tackled a research regarding the effects of these comfort food and discovered that fatty acid activates the brain region that regulate the emotions at the same time reduces the feeling of sadness
Aldrich stated that: "Certain foods can have a particularly strong effect on emotions, according to researchers in Belgium. So what comfort food works best to bolster our moods? Mashed potatoes? Macaroni and cheese? Mainlined ice cream sundaes? Any of these can work, as long as they contain one key ingredient: fat” (http://www.utne.com/mind-and-body/gastrointelligence-why-comfort-food-works.aspx#axzz3Q1eAoUax).
This was a scientific explanation regarding comfort food, this article cleared out that foods containing fats can change someone’s emotion, and this emphasize that not only sweet and salty food are considered comforting but also those food that contains fat.
C. Comfort food define personality
One factor why comfort food works is because it defines personality, in an article entitled “The Taste of Comfort: Food for thought on how Americans eat to feel better” written by Brian Wansink, brian tackled different reasons why comfort food works, and one of these is that he explained that comfort food gives identity to the eaters. Eating such food can define who they are, He mentioned an these eaters focus on aspects of the product that they see consistent with their personality. For example American male eats t-bone steak because it symbolizes manliness and strength and a traditional food of macho American men.
Brian said “To get into the comfort food line-up, what's a soy product to do? Because comfort foods are often based on apocryphal memories, tapping into these associations can tap into a deep well of emotions. The key lies in finding the right iconic trigger points for a specific market segment. Similarly, encouraging product identification can occur through packaging, advertising, and product development” (http://adage.com/article/american-demographics/taste-comfort-food-thought-americans-eat-feel/43135/).
The quotation explains that people tend to eat these comfort food because of what they see to others, if men ate a food that was advertised or identified as a manly product they tend to eat more because they have this thinking that when they eat this food they will be defined as the definition that food has. People eat these foods because for them it is their personality od characteristic, that food symbolizes them.
III. Comfort food is just myth
People believe that food gives comforts, but then most of them are not aware that comfort food has a hidden reality; the fact that reciprocate the beliefs of these people when it comes to comfort food.
The article entitled, "Comfort Food Myth: Ice Cream May not Boost you Mood" written by Rachael Rettner. In this article stated the research made by Heather Scherschel Wagner, a research showed that there is no specific comfort food that eases someone’s downfall emotion. The study implemented a survey and let the respondents watched some tormenting movie for about 20 minutes, after the movie all respondents felt depressed and emotional. To start the examination, the researchers gave the specific comfort food to some respondents, others got any kind of food and the rest got nothing. After the survey, the researchers found out that all the respondents are fine, and even though some did not get their specific comfort food or did not get at all, they are still fine.
Stated by Rachel, "But the new findings suggest that, "whether it's your comfort food, or it’s a granola bar, or if you eat nothing at all, you will eventually feel better. Basically, comfort food can't speed up that healing process," Wagner said. It makes sense that people would attribute an improvement in mood to something they ate, without realizing that the food wasn't necessarily responsible for the mood change. "[People] like to find explanations for things," Wagner said" (http://www.livescience.com/45880-comfort-food-myth.html.).
It showed the reality that reciprocate the significance of comfort food, that even without eating the person’s specific comfort food, that person will still coupe up with his emotional feeling and explains that eating “comfort food” does not uplift one person’s burden. The reality that comfort food does not solve everything people thought of.
"Comfort Food Is a Myth," an article by Tom Jacobs is another author that mentioned a research regarding comfort food, with the same result as Wagner had. He strengthened in his article that people's bad feeling will not be removed by food. Even though most of the respondents from the research strongly believe that their comfort food can make them feel better.
Jacob mentioned, "Participants' moods improved over time," the researchers report. However, they add, "this happened to the same extent regardless of which type of food they ate, or whether they at any food at all" (http://www.psmag.com/health-and-behavior/comfort-food-myth-improve-mood-study-research-90564).
This explains that whether a person eat or not, the bad feeling they’re having improves when time passes by. Food has nothing to do in improving you mood it is just people's excuse to eat more.
Conclusion
Based on the information gathered, the researcher concludes significance of comfort food. People believe in comfort food because of the reinforcements connected to the food they eat, some people tend to make food as a rewards especially to kids, as soon as the aged, instilled in their mind that whenever they did a great job they look for something good to eat. Same thing with eating delightful food whenever people are feeling stress or emotional, food is their reliever and for them whenever they eat, it uplifts their mood that is why people tend to crave something more to eat to get away from the uneasiness they are having.
The researcher also found out that Comfort food reminds people about their good memories and happy occasions happened to them, that is why whenever they are emotional and stressed they eat what reminds them of those moments and this lessen their burden and the heaviness they are feeling. However, people do eat comfort food because of the fatty acid these foods have that make them, crave more and want to eat more of these foods. Also, one factor why people think that comfort food works is because it defines their personality, they have the assumption that if they eat the food that symbolizes something it will have an effect to them and it will define them the same with the food they eat.
Nevertheless, there were data that reciprocated the significance of comfort food. That comfort food has nothing to do in comforting people, that even though a person does not eat whenever he or she is stressed, food will not solve her emotional instability faster. That comfort food is just a myth that people believe in. Food has nothing to do in solving different problems people have and I therefore conclude, comfort is just people's excuse to eat more and tell others that food helps them to surpass the emotional feeling they have.
II. Facts how comfort food works
A. Comfort food works because of life experiences
The most common foods that are considered comforting are those sweet, salty and fatty foods. Most people tend to crave for sweet delicious taste of strawberry cake, vanilla ice cream or even chocolates; some crave for greasy food such as burgers, fries, or chips. According to an article, “Why do people find fatty or sugary food comforting?” by Alice, that our cravings for these tastes are influenced by our ancestors. These ancestors have no knowledge about the scientific explanations of these foods; they only knew that if they eat something sweet it gives them energy while salty food give minerals we needed.
Alice said: "Though humans have inherent preferences for sweet and salty flavors, comfort food choices vary because we are influenced by individual psychological factors that result from life experiences. Even though each of us is born into a unique food environment that is dependent on climate, economy, and culture, studies have shown that women in the United States generally prefer sweet, snack-type foods. This may be the result of pleasant feelings being associated with foods that were served as dessert, as the reward for eating dinner, or for happy occasions, such as parties or holidays. Men tend to prefer salty, meal-type foods, such as mashed potatoes. Meal-type foods might have positive connotations for men because they were lovingly prepared by their mothers and grandmothers. The identification of meal- over snack-type comfort food preferences increases in both genders as they age" (http://goaskalice.columbia.edu/why-do-people-find-fatty-or-sugary-foods-comforting).
Food became comforting because of our experience. Even though we have were born in different food environment, studies have shown that women are feeling relieved from stress by eating sweets which reminds them a happy memories such as holidays while salty food reminds men the food served by their mothers. Furthermore, there comfort food preference increases as time pass.
B. Comfort food works because of its fatty acid
“Why Comfort Foods Works” is an article written by Malgret Aldrich which tackled a research regarding the effects of these comfort food and discovered that fatty acid activates the brain region that regulate the emotions at the same time reduces the feeling of sadness
Aldrich stated that: "Certain foods can have a particularly strong effect on emotions, according to researchers in Belgium. So what comfort food works best to bolster our moods? Mashed potatoes? Macaroni and cheese? Mainlined ice cream sundaes? Any of these can work, as long as they contain one key ingredient: fat” (http://www.utne.com/mind-and-body/gastrointelligence-why-comfort-food-works.aspx#axzz3Q1eAoUax).
This was a scientific explanation regarding comfort food, this article cleared out that foods containing fats can change someone’s emotion, and this emphasize that not only sweet and salty food are considered comforting but also those food that contains fat.
C. Comfort food define personality
One factor why comfort food works is because it defines personality, in an article entitled “The Taste of Comfort: Food for thought on how Americans eat to feel better” written by Brian Wansink, brian tackled different reasons why comfort food works, and one of these is that he explained that comfort food gives identity to the eaters. Eating such food can define who they are, He mentioned an these eaters focus on aspects of the product that they see consistent with their personality. For example American male eats t-bone steak because it symbolizes manliness and strength and a traditional food of macho American men.
Brian said “To get into the comfort food line-up, what's a soy product to do? Because comfort foods are often based on apocryphal memories, tapping into these associations can tap into a deep well of emotions. The key lies in finding the right iconic trigger points for a specific market segment. Similarly, encouraging product identification can occur through packaging, advertising, and product development” (http://adage.com/article/american-demographics/taste-comfort-food-thought-americans-eat-feel/43135/).
The quotation explains that people tend to eat these comfort food because of what they see to others, if men ate a food that was advertised or identified as a manly product they tend to eat more because they have this thinking that when they eat this food they will be defined as the definition that food has. People eat these foods because for them it is their personality od characteristic, that food symbolizes them.
III. Comfort food is just myth
People believe that food gives comforts, but then most of them are not aware that comfort food has a hidden reality; the fact that reciprocate the beliefs of these people when it comes to comfort food.
The article entitled, "Comfort Food Myth: Ice Cream May not Boost you Mood" written by Rachael Rettner. In this article stated the research made by Heather Scherschel Wagner, a research showed that there is no specific comfort food that eases someone’s downfall emotion. The study implemented a survey and let the respondents watched some tormenting movie for about 20 minutes, after the movie all respondents felt depressed and emotional. To start the examination, the researchers gave the specific comfort food to some respondents, others got any kind of food and the rest got nothing. After the survey, the researchers found out that all the respondents are fine, and even though some did not get their specific comfort food or did not get at all, they are still fine.
Stated by Rachel, "But the new findings suggest that, "whether it's your comfort food, or it’s a granola bar, or if you eat nothing at all, you will eventually feel better. Basically, comfort food can't speed up that healing process," Wagner said. It makes sense that people would attribute an improvement in mood to something they ate, without realizing that the food wasn't necessarily responsible for the mood change. "[People] like to find explanations for things," Wagner said" (http://www.livescience.com/45880-comfort-food-myth.html.).
It showed the reality that reciprocate the significance of comfort food, that even without eating the person’s specific comfort food, that person will still coupe up with his emotional feeling and explains that eating “comfort food” does not uplift one person’s burden. The reality that comfort food does not solve everything people thought of.
"Comfort Food Is a Myth," an article by Tom Jacobs is another author that mentioned a research regarding comfort food, with the same result as Wagner had. He strengthened in his article that people's bad feeling will not be removed by food. Even though most of the respondents from the research strongly believe that their comfort food can make them feel better.
Jacob mentioned, "Participants' moods improved over time," the researchers report. However, they add, "this happened to the same extent regardless of which type of food they ate, or whether they at any food at all" (http://www.psmag.com/health-and-behavior/comfort-food-myth-improve-mood-study-research-90564).
This explains that whether a person eat or not, the bad feeling they’re having improves when time passes by. Food has nothing to do in improving you mood it is just people's excuse to eat more.
Conclusion
Based on the information gathered, the researcher concludes significance of comfort food. People believe in comfort food because of the reinforcements connected to the food they eat, some people tend to make food as a rewards especially to kids, as soon as the aged, instilled in their mind that whenever they did a great job they look for something good to eat. Same thing with eating delightful food whenever people are feeling stress or emotional, food is their reliever and for them whenever they eat, it uplifts their mood that is why people tend to crave something more to eat to get away from the uneasiness they are having.
The researcher also found out that Comfort food reminds people about their good memories and happy occasions happened to them, that is why whenever they are emotional and stressed they eat what reminds them of those moments and this lessen their burden and the heaviness they are feeling. However, people do eat comfort food because of the fatty acid these foods have that make them, crave more and want to eat more of these foods. Also, one factor why people think that comfort food works is because it defines their personality, they have the assumption that if they eat the food that symbolizes something it will have an effect to them and it will define them the same with the food they eat.
Nevertheless, there were data that reciprocated the significance of comfort food. That comfort food has nothing to do in comforting people, that even though a person does not eat whenever he or she is stressed, food will not solve her emotional instability faster. That comfort food is just a myth that people believe in. Food has nothing to do in solving different problems people have and I therefore conclude, comfort is just people's excuse to eat more and tell others that food helps them to surpass the emotional feeling they have.
Chapter III
A. Summary
This is a research paper that discussed the explanation behind the notion of comfort food. The end of the this study, the readers will have additional knowledge regarding the facts of comfort food, how does comfort food works and the hidden reality behind it.
The researcher used an observational method in this study gathered from different online articles to answer the question asked. The research findings are as follows:
1. Giving food as positive and negative reinforcement to people has the effect to human brain and seek these foods as their comfort food.
2. People who are feeling stressed and down seeks comfort food for the thought that it will help lessen the negative feelings or lighten their mood.
3. People's comfort food are the food that gives them great and happy memories, it is a psychological effect to humans because these foods reminds them some of their enthusiastic events happened to them which results to lessening the emotional feelings they have.
4. Also, food has different elements that may change ones mood and change their physical body.
5. Food become comforting because of life experiences, wherein sweets are comforting to men because it reminds them sweet and happy memories, while men loves salty food because it reminds them the homemade dishes their mother or wife made.
6. Food containing fats are comforting, that is why a lot of people seeks for foods that have fats such as burgers and chocolates.
7. Comfort food defines personality. people tend to eat foods that symbolizes things that they want to be perceived. Men loves rib steak because it symbolizes strong men. They want to be perceive as strong men that's why they are eating this kind of food.
8. Reality speaking, comfort food is just a myth. Comfort food doesn't effect ones mood.
7. Comfort food defines personality. people tend to eat foods that symbolizes things that they want to be perceived. Men loves rib steak because it symbolizes strong men. They want to be perceive as strong men that's why they are eating this kind of food.
8. Reality speaking, comfort food is just a myth. Comfort food doesn't effect ones mood.
B. Conclusion
The conclusions made from the research findings are:
1. Food that are created as a rewards to people became their comfort food.
2. People believes that food can enlighten their mood.
3. Food have psychological effect to humans, where in food that made them happy became their comfort food.
4. Elements that food have change ones mood.
5. Comfort food became comforting because of the experiences people experienced with the food they eat.
6. Fats have the power to change ones mood, that is why food that has fats become comforting to people.
7. Food can also define ones personality, because of the symbolism and the perception the food have.
8. The concept of comfort food is only in the mind of the person believing in comfort food.
The conclusions made from the research findings are:
1. Food that are created as a rewards to people became their comfort food.
2. People believes that food can enlighten their mood.
3. Food have psychological effect to humans, where in food that made them happy became their comfort food.
4. Elements that food have change ones mood.
5. Comfort food became comforting because of the experiences people experienced with the food they eat.
6. Fats have the power to change ones mood, that is why food that has fats become comforting to people.
7. Food can also define ones personality, because of the symbolism and the perception the food have.
8. The concept of comfort food is only in the mind of the person believing in comfort food.
C. Recommendation
After the conclusion of the study, here are some recommendation from the researcher:
1. It depends to people how to define comfort food,either it works or not, it is up to that person what to believe in. This study only shows some of the different aspect of comfort food. Either the reader agrees on what is written or not.
3. Either food are comforting or not, we should know our limitations, if we depend on too much comfort food, maybe the result will not be not comforting after at all.
After the conclusion of the study, here are some recommendation from the researcher:
1. It depends to people how to define comfort food,either it works or not, it is up to that person what to believe in. This study only shows some of the different aspect of comfort food. Either the reader agrees on what is written or not.
3. Either food are comforting or not, we should know our limitations, if we depend on too much comfort food, maybe the result will not be not comforting after at all.
D. References
Electronic Media
Electronic Media
Brockenbrough, Martha (2011) Why We Love Food Retrieved on: March 10, 2015 from http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/relationship-with-food?page=1
Curtin, Janice (2011) Why We Crave Retrieved on: March 10, 2015 http://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/why-we-crave/
Chang, Ryan (2014) The Psychology Behind Comfort Food Retrieved on: March 10, 2015 http://cal.spoonuniversity.com/2014/11/07/psychology-behind-comfort-food/
Serani, Deborah (2011) Comfort Food Improve Moods Retrieved on: March 17, 2015 https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/two-takes-depression/201104/comfort-foods-improve-moods
Alice (2005) Why do people find fatty or sugary food comforting? Retrieved on: March 17, 2015 http://goaskalice.columbia.edu/why-do-people-find-fatty-or-sugary-foods-comforting
Aldrich Marget (2011) Why Comfort Food Works Retrieved on: March 17, 2015 http://www.utne.com/mind-and-body/gastrointelligence-why-comfort-food-works.aspx#axzz3Q1eAoUax
Wansink, Brian (2000) The Taste of Comfort: Food for thought on how Americans eat to feel better Retrieved on: March 17, 2015 http://adage.com/article/american-demographics/taste-comfort-food-thought-americans-eat-feel/43135/
Rettner, Rachael (2014) Comfort Food Myth: Ice Cream May Not Boost Your Mood Retrieved on: March 17, 2015 http://www.livescience.com/45880-comfort-food-myth.html
Jacobs, Tom (2014) Comfort Food Is a Myth Retrieved on: March 17, 2015 http://www.psmag.com/health-and-behavior/comfort-food-myth-improve-mood-study-research-90564
