After a stressful day, who hasn't torn through a bag of potato chips or eaten an entire pint of ice cream? Stress eating is real. What drives us to stress eat? Is it our bodies? Our minds? Or has our culture taught us to seek comfort in unhealthy food? 

This month on Short Talks from the Hill, Grant Shields, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychological Science, explains what we know about stress eating and what we still need to understand. 

"It doesn't seem to be effective long term, but it is very effective in the moment. So if you're dealing with some incredibly overwhelming negative affects, maybe don't feel too bad about eating that pint of ice cream," Shields said. 

Stress eating can affect not just our personal health. It turns out stress eating may also have broader economic impacts. 

Shields' research looks broadly at the way stress affects how we think, how we make decisions and our health. 

You can hear more about Shields' research on stress by visiting ArkansasResearch.UArk.edu or downloading Short Talks wherever you get your podcasts. 

Short Talks from the Hill highlights research, scholarly work and economic impact news at the University of Arkansas.