You can't help it: the slightest problem causes you to wolf down a box of cookies, a bar of chocolate or other sweets. Then you go back to what you were doing before, guilt-ridden by your lack of will power. Stop torturing yourself !

What if stress is really the true cause of your sweet tooth?

Nowadays specialists agree: stress leads to snacking or overeating in a majority of people, and is thus in part responsible for unwanted kilos.

• Eating sweets is very soothing and cheers us up when we are under pressure. In fact, sweets reduce feelings of stress by increasing the level of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is a substance which improves mood and promotes feelings of well-being and satiety

• Eating and snacking compensates for the decrease in magnesium in our body brought on by stress. Since magnesium plays a major role in stress management, we inevitably feel calmer and more relaxed after having eaten foods containing high levels of magnesium, such as chocolate.

• On the other hand: elevated blood sugar levels interfere with magnesium's entry into the cells. A rise in insulin occurs to lower the blood sugar levels, thereby facilitating magnesium's absorption. Insulin, however, acts to store excess sugar as fat, which in turns causes weight gain.

Studies show that people who are on a strict diet tend to lose control of their food intake when confronted with stress.

This is because being on a diet takes a great deal of energy and self-control, and so they have less energy to face other daily stresses. When they are stressed and have access to food, they lose control and eat in excess. Consequently, kilos that are lost on a diet are constantly put back on, often resulting in even more weight gain. This ‘yoyo' effect is quite common with strict dieting.

A unique and 100% natural response to stress-related problems, Lactium® helps you to better manage your stress, to control food cravings and thus avoid weight gain. Lactium® is your personal diet partner as it helps you manage your hunger.

When coping with stress, 60% of French people find comfort in food and potentially gain weight.

Source : ''Top Santé'' Magazine, December 2005.