For a while, the “hot girls have stomach problems” trend on social media has been a way for women to destigmatise irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

By sharing content about bloating, farting, diarrhoea and constipation, users normalise talking about some of the condition’s unpleasant symptoms.

But why does IBS affect women more than men?

Studies show women are twice as likely as men to have this condition and symptoms are most common among those aged 18 to 39.

The reasons are complex, but sex hormones seem to play an important role. Here’s what we know.

What is irritable bowel syndrome?

IBS is more than just stomach pain – it’s a complex disorder affecting messages sent by the nerve network known as the gut-brain axis.

IBS is considered a syndrome because it is characterised by a collection of symptoms, rather than a structural abnormality in the gut or a particular disease.

People with this condition experience unpredictable and uncomfortable bowel motions such as diarrhoea and constipation. Other symptoms can include pelvic pain, headaches and fatigue and significantly affect quality of life.

There is also significant overlap between IBS and depression and anxiety.

The definitive reason people develop IBS remains unclear. But we do know messaging between the brain and gut is thrown off track.

In both men and women, everyday factors – including stress, exercise, diet, socialising and thought patterns, such as the anxiety someone may develop about symptoms – can speed up or slow down the messages sent via the gut-brain axis.

The result is heightened reactivity: the gut becomes very sensitive to food, stress and anxiety, leading to unpredictable bowel motions.

The role of hormones

Differences in men and women’s IBS symptoms – and how bad they are – may be due to differences in hormones.

Men have more testosterone than women, and this hormone is thought to help protect against developing IBS.

But for women, fluctuations in oestrogen and progesterone – which they have more of – can worsen symptoms.

These hormones influence how quickly food moves through the gut, speeding up or slowing down the number of times the gut contracts, leading to pain and other symptoms like constipation and diarrhoea.

Women are more likely to have worse symptoms during their reproductive years. Symptoms are also often worse during a women’s period, which is when oestrogen and progesterone decrease.

There is also emerging evidence about the overlap between IBS and conditions such as endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome.

Recent studies suggest people with endometriosis are three times more likely to have IBS, while those with polycystic ovary syndrome are twice as likely to have it.

These conditions seem to be connected by hormone fluctuations and pain, although we don’t know what causes what. Factors such as mild inflammation from an overactive immune system, a weak gut lining, unbalanced gut bacteria and sensitive nerves in the gut may explain why these conditions happen together.

Women are also more likely to seek support for IBS than men, which may explain why we have better reporting on their diagnosis and the overlap of other conditions that affect women.

Managing IBS

There is no cure for IBS. But the syndrome can be managed with lifestyle changes and medication.

Evidence suggests reducing gut irritants in your diet can reduce discomfort. These include caffeine, spicy food, alcohol, fizzy drinks and high-fat food.

For some people with ongoing symptoms, a dietitian may prescribe restricting and then reintroducing certain food groups known as fermentable carbohydrates, or FODMAPs.

FODMAPs are found in common foods such as dairy products (lactose), grain and cereals (fructans) and certain fruits such as apples, watermelon and stone fruit (polyols).

The purpose of this diet is to first relieve symptoms and then systematically identify irritants, so that if they’re reintroduced it’s at a level that the gut can tolerate.

For some people, cognitive behavioural therapy also helps. This talk therapy – which focuses on reframing unhelpful thinking and behaviour – is used to get messages between the gut-brain axis back on track. For example, by reducing emotional stress (the “fight or flight” response), improving how your brain interprets pain, and addressing negative thoughts about symptoms, such as shame and anxiety.

Others may benefit from hypnotherapy, which helps reduce gut sensitivity and promotes deep relaxation. This teaches the body to respond more calmly to stress, which helps to regulate the gut-brain messaging system.

Doctors can also recommend medications that act on receptors in the gut and regulate the speed of digestion which can reduce diarrhoea and constipation.

Otherwise, low-dose antidepressants (prescribed at a much lower dose than what would be used to treat clinical depression) can help to reduce sensitivity to pain in the gut.

So, can social media help?

People living with IBS often feel their condition isn’t taken seriously.

Research shows they face dismissive attitudes – including from doctors – which suggest the symptoms are just in their head, and are more likely to experience shame about their condition.

For some women, sharing experiences online can help them shed the shame and find out more about IBS. But social media communities, and influencers trying to sell products, can also encourage women to try expensive strategies that don’t have evidence to back them.

Given the complexity of IBS, individual, tailored care is key.

Your symptoms are not just a “vibe”. If you’re concerned, you should speak to a trained health-care professional, such as a GP, psychologist or dietitian, who can help you find the right treatment for you.

Lauren Manning, Lecturer in Dietetics and Human Nutrition, La Trobe University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Have you ever noticed changes in your eating habits when you are sad, bored or anxious?

Many people report eating either more, or less, as a way of helping them to cope when they experience difficult emotions.

Although this is a very normal response, it can take the pleasure out of eating, and can become distressing and bring about other feelings of shame and self-criticism.

Adding to the complexity of it all, we live in a world where diet culture is unavoidable, and our relationship to eating, food and body image can become complicated and confusing.

Emotional eating is common

“Emotional eating” refers to the eating behaviours (typically eating more) that occur in response to difficult emotions.

Research shows around 20% of people regularly engage in emotional eating, with a higher prevalence among adolescents and women. In a study of more than 1,500 adolescents, 34% engaged in emotional eating while sad and 40% did so while anxious.

Foods consumed are often fast-foods and other energy-dense, nutrient-poor convenience foods.

Stress, strong emotions and depression

For some people, emotional eating was simply a habit formed earlier in life that has persisted over time.

But other factors might also contribute to the likelihood of emotional eating. The physiological effects of stress and strong emotions, for example, can influence hormones such as cortisol, insulin and glucose, which can also increase appetite.

Increased impulsivity (behaving before thinking things through), vulnerability to depression, a tendency to ruminate and difficulties regulating emotions also increase the likelihood of emotional eating.

So what do you do?

First, know that fluctuations in eating are normal. However, if you find that the way you eat in response to difficult emotions is not working for you, there are a few things you can do.

Starting with small things that are achievable but can have a huge impact, such as prioritising getting enough sleep and eating regularly.

Then, you can start to think about how you handle your emotions and hunger cues.

Expand your emotional awareness

Often we label emotions as good or bad, and this can result in fear, avoidance, and unhelpful coping strategies such as emotional eating.

But it’s also important to differentiate the exact emotion. This might be feeling isolated, powerless or victimised, rather than something as broad as sad.

By noticing what the emotion is, we can bring curiosity to what it means, how we feel in our minds and bodies, and how we think and behave in response.

Tap into your feelings of hunger and fullness

Developing an intuitive way of eating is another helpful strategy to promote healthy eating behaviours.

Intuitive eating means recognising, understanding and responding to internal signals of hunger and fullness. This might mean tuning in to and acknowledging physical hunger cues, responding by eating food that is nourishing and enjoyable, and identifying sensations of fullness.

Intuitive eating encourages flexibility and thinking about the pleasure we get from food and eating. This style of eating also allows us to enjoy eating out with friends, and sample local delicacies when travelling.

It can also reduce the psychological distress from feeling out of control with your eating habits and the associated negative body image.

When is it time to seek help?

For some people, the thoughts and behaviours relating to food, eating and body image can negatively impact their life.

Having the support of friends and family, accessing online resources and, in some instances, seeing a trained professional, can be very helpful.

There are many therapeutic interventions that work to improve aspects associated with emotional eating. These will depend on your situation, needs, stage of life and other factors, such as whether you are neurodivergent.

The best approach is to engage with someone who can bring compassion and understanding to your personal situation, and work with you collaboratively. This work might include:

• unpacking some of the patterns that could be underlying these emotions, thoughts and behaviours
• helping you to discover your emotions
• supporting you to process other experiences, such as trauma exposure
• developing a more flexible and intuitive way of eating.

One of the dangers that can occur in response to emotional eating is the temptation to diet, which can lead to disordered eating, and eating disorder behaviours. Indicators of a potential eating disorder can include:

• recent rapid weight loss
• preoccupation with weight and shape (which is usually in contrast to other people’s perceptions)
• eating large amounts of food within a short space of time (two hours or less) and feeling a sense of loss of control
• eating in secret
• compensating for food eaten (with vomiting, exercise or laxatives).

Evidence-based approaches can support people experiencing eating disorders. To find a health professional who is informed and specialises in this area, search the Butterfly Foundation’s expert database.

If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14, or the Butterfly Foundation on 1800 ED HOPE (1800 33 4673).

Inge Gnatt, PhD Candidate, Lecturer in Psychology, Swinburne University of Technology

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.