Women are much healthier when they (41) ............ it easy, (42) .............a new survey. Those who work long hours are more likely than men to indulge (43) .............. unhealthy behaviour such as eating snacks, smoking and drinking caffein. (Long hours have no such (44) .............. on men.) One positive benefit of long hours for both sexes, however, is that alcohol (45) ............... is reduced.
The study, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, is part of a wider study by pschologists from the University of Leeds, into the effects of stress on eating. ‘Stress causes people to (46) ............... for unhealthy high-fat and high-sugar snacks in preference to healthier food choices,’ says reseacher Dr Daryl O’Connor of the Univeristy of Leeds. ‘People under stress eat less than usual in their main meals, including their vegetable (47) .............., but shift their preference to high-fat, high-sugar snacks instead.
‘Our (48) ................. are disturbing in that they show stress produces harmful changes in diet and leads to unhealthy eating behaviour,’ continues Dr O’Connor. An overwhelming (49) ................ of evidence shows the importance of maintaining a balanced diet in (50) .............. of reducing the risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases, and that means eating a low-fat diet and five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.