A surprising way to stop stress eating? Get a grip on your budget.

With tax season hard on the heels of those postholiday bills, if financial anxiety is stressing you out, it's no wonder. And when you're stressed, you're more likely to overeat. How to beat this double whammy? Sit down tonight and figure out a budget for '07. Taking control of your finances will cut your angst and hopefully curb your cravings, too.

Studies of the link between acute financial stress and physical health are clear: People who are constantly worried about financial problems experience depression, hypertension, insomnia, fatigue, ulcers, migraines, gastrointestinal upset, and weight gain.

A smart first step: Get a grip on your day-to-day spending by creating a budget. If you're not a pencil-and-paper type, there's inexpensive, easy-to-use software that will help you create a spending and saving plan that, in turn, will give you more confidence.

Longer term: Get some expert advice. Ask about consolidating your credit card debt onto one low-interest card, for instance, so you have a single -- and manageable -- monthly payment. Meet with a retirement specialist to learn how much you need to start putting away. Investigate refinancing your variable-rate mortgage into a fixed one so your budget's predictable. Talk to your employer about a flexible spending account (FSA) and/or a medical savings account (MSA) to help you use pretax dollars for medical expenses. The more you learn about how to manage your money, the more power you'll have over financial pressure . . . and the less likely you are to succumb to that giant bag of potato chips.

Learn what happens in your body when stress levels soar. See this article from the Mayo Clinic.