High-stress lifestyle 'making Britons obese'

According to the 'YouGov' survey, sugary and fatty treats, such as chocolate, crisps, biscuits and cakes, help people to wind down and keep their emotions under control.

Chocolate and alcohol top the list of products people turn to help deal with stress -- more than a third of those questioned felt chocolate helped them deal with stress. The same was true of alcohol.

More than one in 10 claimed crisps, biscuits and cakes helped them control their emotions, with more than half admitting they placed "no limit" on the amount of unhealthy food they ate. One in four people who admitted they struggled with their weight saw stress as a major cause.

Almost two-thirds of the obese group said they knew eating too much of the wrong foods was to blame, with 71 per cent of them also admitting they exercised too little, the 'Daily Express' reported.

But one-in-three blamed medication or an illness, while 13 per cent said they were too busy to eat healthily. The same number blamed their genes for their weight problems.

Jenny Allan, nutritionist, said: "Stress is a major cause of weight gain. When you feel stressed your body can cry out for a quick energy boost, so readily available snacks such as crisps, chocolate and fizzy drinks can be tempting.

"These kinds of foods are very high in calories and they also don't fill you up very much, so it's easy to over-consume. High-sugar foods cause your blood sugar levels to rise and then fall quickly. This sudden crash can cause you to crave more sugary foods. It's a cycle and this type of eating can cause weight gain."