Emi Fujiwara’s holidays can hardly be called that as she changes the arrangement of a full-time job and evening studies and tries to find money and time to buy presents, organize parties and cook for family and friends.
    The 26-year-old trainee nurse says she indulges(沉溺) in comfort eating during what she describes as the most stressful time of the year. The endless invitations to parties and dinners make it easier to overeat, she said.
   “Well, I am a cracker-and-cheese and wine kind of girl. （喜欢吃的女孩）Once I see all that out there, it is trouble for me,” she said after going to the gym for the first time in weeks, seeking to burn off excess calories.
    Nearly half of all women in the United States suffer from increased stress during the holidays, a condition that contributes to rising levels of comfort eating, drinking and other coping methods that can lead to weight gain, according to a survey conducted in  October by the American Psychological Association.
    A national stress survey the association conducted in January showed one in four people in the United States agrees that “when I am feeling down or facing a problem, I turn to food to help me feel better.” The October survey showed that the proportion increases to one in three people during the holidays.