Work Stress Makes Couples Eat Their Feelings

In episode 119 , we dig into a question many of us have experienced firsthand: Why does a stressful day at work make us (and our partners!) devour cookies, takeout, or comfort food.

We’re joined by Dr. Wiston Rodriguez, Assistant Professor of Psychology at San Diego State University, to explore new research on how workplace stressors, specifically illegitimate tasks, shape employees’ eating behaviors after work.

Illegitimate tasks are assignments that fall outside your role or feel demeaning (like being asked to do work that “isn’t your job”). Dr. Rodriguez’s research shows these experiences don’t just impact your mood—they can trigger negative emotions that lead to unhealthy eating behaviors, and those effects don’t stop with you.

We discuss:

* What illegitimate tasks are and why they feel so stressful

* How workplace stress drives emotional eating and poor food choices

* The surprising finding that these eating behaviors spill over to partners and families

* How broader systems—like income, access to food, and work conditions—shape health outcomes

* Why workplace stress doesn’t just affect performance—it affects physical health and long‑term well‑being

* Practical steps managers and organizations can take to reduce harm, from clear communication to supportive workplace culture

This episode highlights how everyday workplace decisions—like how tasks are assigned—can ripple outward into employees’ homes, relationships, and health behaviors.

You can find Dr. Rodriguez here (https://psychology.sdsu.edu/people/wiston-rodriguez/).

You can find the paper here (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41542-025-00247-w).