RADFORD – It is commonly recognized that people respond to stress in a variety of ways, and emotional eating has recently come to the attention of researchers who are interested in understanding the role of using food in regulating mood.

Radford University psychology professors Sarah Hastings and Tracy Cohn will talk about “Emotional Eating and Self Compassion” in a presentation at 2 p.m. Friday in Heth Hall room 104.

The presentation is sponsored by the Center for Gender Studies and the Psychology Department. The event is open to the public, and admission is free.

Self-compassion, a concept based in Eastern thought, focuses on the care of the person – being gentle, kind and flexible in regard to self.

“Only recently have researchers started to examine whether self-compassion, or self kindness – may influence the degree to which people engage in emotional eating,” Cohn said. “The current research attempts to explore the relationship between emotional eating, self-compassion and body satisfaction in order to understand the dynamic interplay between theory and clinical application.”

To learn more, contact Lips at 540-831-5361 or hlips@radford.edu or contact Christi Byrd at 540-831-6644 or cbyrd13@radford.edu.