Researchers at NUI Galway want volunteers to take part in a study on comfort eating, which is defined as eating when we're not hungry but in need of stress relief or a reward.

They want to examine the influence of emotional factors in childhood on comfort eating and weight.

While the wide availability of convenience foods and an increasingly sedentary lifestyle are recognised as significant contributing factors to the spike in obesity rates, research is finding that psychosocial factors in childhood, such as abuse, lack of parental support, depression, may also play a role.

Researchers believe that children who have a hard time expressing their emotions may turn to food for solace.

The researchers have devised a questionnaire - that can be filled out online - and they will also be conducting individual interviews in counties Laois, Longford and Westmeath.

People over the age of 18 are being sought to take part in the study - which is being funded by the Millennium Research Fund at NUI Galway.

Roisin Finnegal is a Trainee Clinical Psychologist at NUIG - she talks about the possible reasons behind comfort eating:

And you can contact Roisin at r.finnegan8@nuigalway.ie