Stress and Sugar Synergy (SSS)

Inclusion Criteria:

• Body mass index between 28-35
• Self report of stable body weight during the past six months
• High stress participants: Perceived Stress Scores (PSS) ≥ 24, and the presence of a predefined chronically stressful event as assessed by the Telephone screening questions. (IDS scores are not an inclusion criteria in this group, merely a rule-out for the low stress participants).
• Low stress participants: PSS scores ≤ 8, Inventory for Depressive Symptom (IDS) scores ≤ 14, and the absence of any predefined chronically stressful events as assessed by the telephone screening questions.

Exclusion Criteria:

• glucose intolerance
• Evidence of liver disorder
• Evidence of kidney disorder
• Evidence of thyroid disorder
• Systolic blood pressure consistently over 140mmHg or diastolic blood pressure over 90mmHg
• Triglycerides > 200mg/dl
• LDL-C > 130mg/dl
• Hemoglobin < 8.5 g/dl
• pregnant or lactating women
• Current, prior (within 12 months), or anticipated use of any hypolipidemic or anti-diabetic agents
• Use of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors and anti-hypertensive medications
• Any other condition that, in the opinion of the investigators, would put subject at risk
• Strenuous exerciser
• surgery for weight loss
• Diet exclusions: food allergies, special dietary restrictions, habitual ingest of >2 alcoholic beverages/day