BLOG 558 EMOTIONAL EATING
Emotional eating isn’t just about food….it’s about feelings.
The late-night ice cream binge or the bottomless bag of chips during a
stressful day isn’t always driven by physical hunger. It’s often a response to
emotional discomfort, a way to soothe, distract, or even punish us. But why do
we turn to food when our hearts, not our stomachs, are aching?
Emotional eating is the act of consuming food in response to
feelings rather than hunger. These foods are usually high in sugar, fat, or
carbs. Feelings can range from stress and sadness to boredom and loneliness.
Unlike physical hunger, which builds gradually and is satisfied by any food,
emotional hunger strikes suddenly and craves specific comfort foods.
There are common emotional
triggers and psychological patterns that lead to emotional eating. Stress and cortisol
overload are big contributors. When we’re stressed, our bodies release
cortisol, a hormone that increases appetite and cravings for fatty, sugary
foods. It’s a survival mechanism. However, in modern life, it often leads to
overeating. Comfort and nostalgia with certain foods are tied to memories.
Examples could be mac and cheese from childhood, or cookies baked by a loved
one. Eating them can recreate a sense of safety or warmth.
Emotional eating can be a distraction from pain. It can act
as a numbing agent. Instead of facing anxiety, grief, or anger, we distract
ourselves by eating food. It’s a temporary escape from discomfort. Emotional eating
can be a reward and self-soothing. Many people use food as a reward.
Ever said to yourself, “I’ve had a hard day, I deserve this”? It becomes a way
to self-soothe when other coping mechanisms aren’t available or feel too hard.
Plus, boredom and lack of stimulation can stimulate emotional eating. When life
feels dull or unstimulating, eating provides a quick hit of pleasure. It fills
the void.
Emotional eating often leads to guilt, shame, and regret,
which can trigger more emotional distress and more eating. This creates a
vicious cycle which involves the following:
- Emotional
trigger (stress, sadness, etc.)
- Eating
for comfort
- Temporary
relief
- Guilt
or shame
- Emotional
distress returns
- Repeat
Understanding the “why” is the first step toward change. There
are suggestions for strategies to make change. Practice mindful eating. Pay
attention to hunger cues, emotional states, and the sensory experience of
eating. Emotional awareness helps. Journal or talk about your feelings instead
of suppressing them. There are also alternative coping tools such as walking,
meditating, calling a friend, or engaging in hobbies when emotions run high. Self-compassion
goes a long way too. Replace judgment with kindness. Emotional eating
doesn’t make you weak, rather, it makes you human.
Emotional eating isn’t a failure of willpower. Something
deeper is going on beneath the surface and a signal is going off. Listening to
that signal. Then one can begin to heal not just their relationship with food,
but with themselves.
