Chronic stress decreases liking and satisfaction of low-calorie chips

Previous studies have shown that acute stress affects food choice and the amount of consumption. However, relatively little is known about the effect of chronic stress on food perception. This study aimed to determine whether the sensory perception and impression of foods can be different under distinctive levels of chronic stress. Volunteers were asked to fill out a self-administrated questionnaire on psychological stress over the previous month (Perceived Stress Scale; PSS); the PSS score has been found to be related to psychological stress-related biomarkers such as cortisol level. Among the volunteers, those who scored below 10-point on the PSS were labeled “low stress group”, while those who scored 25-point or higher were labeled “high stress group.” Sensory perception and acceptance in response to low- and high-calorie potato chips were compared between the low and high stress groups. The intensity ratings of overall flavor, saltiness, and crispness did not significantly differ between chronic stress levels. However, hedonic ratings of the appearance and overall flavor of low-calorie chips were significantly lower in the high stress group than in the low stress group. In addition, the high stress group liked low-calorie chips significantly less than did the low stress group. Also, the high stress group was less satisfied with the low-calorie chips after eating when compared to the low stress group. However, for the high-calorie chips, there were no significant differences in the ratings of sensory intensity and liking, overall impression, and satisfaction felt after consumption, between the two chronic stress groups. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that chronic stress levels can modulate not only acceptability of low calorie-chips, but also satisfaction felt after eating.