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HOLY TRINITY UNIVERSITY

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY

STRESS EATING:
A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY

Submitted By:

GAUIS LAURENCE B. CARAOA

MAED-ENGLISH
ADVANCE METHODS OF RESEARCH

To:

PROFESSOR: MARK N. ABADIANO, Ph.D

HOLY TRINITY UNIVERSITY
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Stress Eating: A phenomenological study

Abstract: Stress eating is consuming food in response to your feelings, especially

when you are not hungry. Stress eating is also sometimes called emotional eating.
Stress eating (or emotional eating) is using food to make yourself feel better—eating
to satisfy emotional needs, rather than to satisfy physical hunger. This action
research paper will try to unlock the reason why people turn to food to relieved stress
or cope with unpleasant emotion.

Keywords: Stress eating, stressor, stress, Emotional hunger, cortisol, chronic stress

Introduction
Rationale

Stress, either physiological or biological, is an organism's response to a stressor

such as an environmental condition. Stress is the body's method of reacting to a
condition such as a threat, challenge or physical and psychological barrier.

Occasionally using food as a reward, or to celebrate one’s achievement isn’t

necessarily a bad thing. But when eating is your way of relieving yourself—when
your first impulse is to open the refrigerator or buy ice cream whenever you’re
stressed or upset—you are just fooling yourself and the real problem is never solved.
Emotional hunger can’t be filled with food. Eating may feel good in the moment, but
the feelings that causes the eating are still there. And you sometimes feel worse than
you did before because of eating a lot.

Life is full of stressors such as painful break ups, piled work projects. When these
stressful events occur, you may have noticed an increased inclination to look toward
the refrigerator. The researcher chooses to have this kind of research to helped
identify that is the underlying reasons that leads to this kind of phenomenon, which
leads to different kinds of potential problems in health; mentally and psychologically.

The researcher will look into the history and actual experiences that had happened
to the participants and will try to understand the underlying reasons from that
perspective.

The inference of this study may lead to better adjustment to healthy living and
somehow enhance performance.
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Literature Review

According to Lazarus & Folkman (1984), stress is a mental or physical phenomenon

formed through one’s cognitive appraisal of the stimulation and is a result of one’s
interaction with the environment. The existence of stress depends on the existence
of the stressor.

Feng (1992) and Volpe (2000) defined stressor as anything that challenges an
individual’s adaptability or stimulates an individual’s body or mentality. Stress can be
caused by environmental factors, psychological factors, biological factors, and social
factors.

There have been many studies (Schafer, 1996; Fisher, 1994; Altmaier, 1983;
Greenberg & Valletutti, 1980), which have reported strong relationship between
stress and students.

Researchers have found that cortisol, the primary stress hormone, helps regulate the
body’s response to stress. However, too much cortisol can cause sleep disruption,
anxiety, and increased appetite. Cortisol also increases general motivation, which
could include our motivation to eat, according to Harvard Medical School. When a
stressful episode subsides, cortisol levels should fall back to normal. However, if the
body stays stressed, cortisol could remain high.

In a study conducted by UT South Western Medical Center, researchers found that

Chronic stress can also increase ghrelin, which is often referred to as the “hunger
hormone.” Usually released in the stomach, ghrelin is thought to send hunger signals
to the brain. However, researchers noted the unfortunate side effects of increased
appetite and corresponding weight gain when the hormone increased.

While it may seem that the core problem is that you’re powerless over food,
emotional eating actually stems from feeling powerless over your emotions. You
don’t feel capable of dealing with your feelings head on, so you avoid them with food.

Allowing yourself to feel uncomfortable emotions can be scary. You may fear that,
once you go inside your emotions you might not be able to get out. But the truth is
that when we suppress our emotions, the difficult feelings lessen and lose their
power to control our attention.

So, we need to become mindful and learn how to stay connected to our emotional
senses. This can enable you to hold in stress and fix emotional problems that often
trigger emotional eating.

Statement of Objectives
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The aim of this study was to know the reason why people who is undergoing
stressful situation tend to resolve to eating to relieve stress and other emotional
problems.

Methodology

Research Design - Qualitative Analysis will be applied in terms of interview and

categorized to create themes for thematic analysis among the participants of these
research.
Descriptive or hermeneutical phenomenology – It refers to the study of personal
experience and requires a description or interpretation of the meanings of
phenomena experienced by participants in an investigation.

Research Participants/Informants
The research used purposive sampling. The researchers tapped (20-30) participants
from Bacungan National High School.

Research Environment
The location of in depth interview among participants is in Bacungan National High
School of Puerto Princesa City.

Research Instrument
The research utilized a semi-structure interview guide consisting of two parts – Part
A, Demographic information and Part B, semi-structured open-ended questions for
the qualitative-thematic part.

Reference:

Melinda Smith, M.A., Jeanne Segal Ph.D., and Robert Segal, September 2018.

How to Overcome Stress Eating, Jennifer R. Scott, April 24, 2019.

https://www.verywellfit.com/what-is-emotional-eating-3495967

(Schafer, 1996; Fisher, 1994; Altmaier, 1983; Greenberg & Valletutti, 1980)
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Research in Daily Life 1: Qualitative Research Method, Mark N. Abadiano Ph.D.,

2016.
p. 7

UT Southwestern Medical Center. (2008, June 16). Hunger Hormone Increases

During Stress, May Have Antidepressant Effect. ScienceDaily. Retrieved May 9,
2019 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080615142252.htm

Consent Form Letter:

I have read the Information Sheet and have had the details of the
study explained to me. My questions have been answered to my
satisfaction, and I may ask further questions at any time.

I understand I have the right to withdraw from the study at any time
and decline to answer any particular questions.

I agree to provide information to the researcher(s) on the

understanding that my name will not be used without my permission.

I agree/do not agree to the interview being recorded electronically.

I understand that I have the right to ask for the tape to be turned off at
any time during the interview.

_________________ _____________ ________

Name Signature Date
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Appendix A

CURRICULLUM VITAE

Objective: To be able to share my knowledge to my

students and help them learn about the things in life; what
is significantly important and to pursue their career, and
to develop their talent and skills. To be a better person
and be a vital part of the community. And someday they
may also pass on the things that they learned, and be a
pillar in our country.

Academic Degrees:

College : Palawan State University

Bachelor of Secondary Education, 2008

High School : Baptist Christian School, 2004

EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCES

JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER, ENGLISH TEACHER BACUNGAN

NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL-DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
2014-Present

SKILLS:
 Proficient in Microsoft Office suites.
 Possesses technical proficiency and communication skills.
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TRAININGS / SEMINARS / CONFERENCE

PEDAGOGICAL RETOOLING IN MATHEMATICS, LANGUAGE AND SCIENCE

PLUS (PRIMALS JUNIOR HS)
February 10-15 at Tagaytay Country Hotel, Tagaytay City

REGIONAL TRAINING OF TEACHERS ON CRITICAL CONTENT IN ENGLISH

June 26 – July 5, 2018 at A&A Plaza Hotel, Puerto Princesa City

DIVISION ROLLOUT OF THE PHILIPPINE PROFESSIONAL STANDARD FOR

TEACHERS (PPST) RESOURCE PACKAGE AND RESULT-BASED
PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (RPMS) MANUAL FOR TEACHERS
AND SCHOOL HEADS
September 20-22, 2018 at La Charica Inn, Puerto Princesa City

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

Name : GAUIS LAURENCE BENJAMIN CARAOA

Address : #12, blk. 7, Hagedorn Rd. Brgy. San pedro,
Puerto Princesa.City, Palawan
Date of Birth : April 15, 1988
Place of Birth : Puerto Princesa.City
Civil Status : Married
Religion : Fundamental Baptist
Contact No. : 0918.9474.762
In case of Emergency: 0939.9350.645 (Wife: Mrs. Kristina Rose N. Caraoa)