comfort food

What ‘anxiety baking’ says about socioeconomics and a poor diet

Comfort food is having its moment because all of us, even those with relative means, are feeling decidedly uncomfortable right now. But for millions of low-income Americans, there won’t be any return to the gym, the running club, or sensible eating when the virus is behind us. Not only do these families typically have less access to healthier food and safe spaces for exercise, they were already enduring the very same pressures now driving more affluent Americans to overeat unhealthy food: job insecurity, cramped living spaces, poorer sleep, a dearth of childcare, and lack of assured access to medical care.(No paywall)

For the love of ‘bad’ food

A backlash is brewing to our age of food perfectionism, reports The Atlantic. With all manner of "experts" prescribing how and what to eat, there now comes an eruption of blogs, tweets, Facebook groups, listicles, Pinterest pages, and other celebrations of "dishes that are disastrous, unattractive, or just unhealthy."

Comfort food may be overrated as path to happiness

The power of comfort food, be it ice cream, artisanal chocolate or Mom's meatloaf, to cure a bout of the blues may be overrated, says the New York Times, describing a study by University of Minnesota researchers.