The link between food insecurity, diet, and stress hormones
Official title: Food Insecurity, Poor Diet, and Metabolic Syndrome: Cortisol’s Amplifying Role
Funded at University of California Los Angeles · NIH-10877883 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study looks at how not having enough food can affect your health, especially by checking the stress hormone cortisol, to see how it might lead to issues like obesity and diabetes, and it’s for anyone who wants to understand the connection between stress, eating habits, and health.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2021 |
| Project end | June 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $368,621 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK128575-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-10877883 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals experiencing food insecurity, particularly those with high cortisol levels or stress-related eating behaviors.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are food secure and do not experience stress-related eating patterns may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how food insecurity affects health, particularly focusing on the role of cortisol, a stress hormone. It aims to identify individuals at higher risk for negative health outcomes related to food insecurity, such as obesity and diabetes. By examining cortisol levels and their relationship with food consumption patterns, the study seeks to understand how stress influences dietary choices. The approach combines various methods to gather comprehensive data on the impact of food insecurity on metabolic health.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to targeted interventions that improve dietary habits and health outcomes for those facing food insecurity.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that addressing the psychological and physiological aspects of food insecurity can lead to improved health outcomes, indicating potential success for this approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tomiyama, a. Janet — University of California Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Tomiyama, a. Janet
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Understanding how stress affects diet and health in people facing food insecurity
This project explores how stress, specifically the hormone cortisol, might worsen the health effects of food insecurity, such as obesity and diabetes.
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.