Putting a Stop to Emotional Eating

What is Emotional Eating?

Most every individual has been in such a situation at some point in their lives, whether it is simply because of a bad day at work, a relative dying, your favorite pet passing on, being overlooked for promotion, or a myriad of other possible reasons; you are having a really bad day. This might well lead to a bout of emotionally induced overeating. A bag of chips, some candy, a quart of ice cream or an extra burger and fries might well make you feel somewhat better for a short while. This is called emotional eating, or eating as a way to respond to negative emotions; it is an extremely well known and documented problem.

Studies have shown that in times of stress, individuals with a normal body weight will decrease their food consumption, while those with obesity issues tend to increase their food consumption. The results from these studies have shown that the reason for this is because overweight individuals are usually emotionally more reactive than thinner people, and as a result are more likely to overeat when distressed. In addition, overweight individuals tend to experience negative emotions more frequently and more intensely than people with more normal body weight, largely as a result of the social stigma that is attached to being overweight in the first place.

A study by Lowe and Fisher published in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine titled “Emotional Reactivity, Emotional Eating, and Obesity: A Naturalistic Study”, took a look at the emotional reactivity and eating habits of normal weight and overweight female college students. What the study found was that the obese individuals tend to overeat, but not at meal times; rather, they eat too many snacks. The snacks taken between meals were of a higher incidence for them than individuals of a normal weight, with a more stable and restrained emotional reactivity. This study suggests that the reason is because obese individuals particularly avoid overeating in the presence of others. They therefore tend to eat less when taking a meal with their peers, but subsequently compensate by eating in an endeavor to alleviate the current trauma or emotional sensitivity that they are experiencing.

Is Emotional Hunger Real?

Emotional hunger is real, as in “yes, it does exist”, but it is an emotional need as compared to a physiological response to hunger. Physical hunger is your body’s actual need to be fed to replenish its energy and to perform daily functions. Emotional hunger pangs can strike suddenly, compelling the individual to eat as if to fill a void, regardless of the fact that he or she may well be satiated from a physiological standpoint. Emotional eaters are unaware of the quantities of food that they consume, and worry little about the quality. It is the act of eating that provides the comfort. These emotional indulgences are often satisfied by an individual’s “personal favorite” – a food that holds some degree of emotional comfort, often a relic from childhood. There is almost always a feeling of guilt attached to emotional eating and that guilt is usually assuaged with the promise – “I’ll do better next time.”

Emotional hunger may not be physical in nature, but it nevertheless can be a powerful force in an individual’s life. Often emotional hunger will strike as a result of loneliness, betrayal or personal rejection. The stress level will increase to the point where the individual will crave food in an attempt to self-medicate; to numb the sensations that are causing their stress. Indeed, this activity does work in the short term; it is the long-term impact of guilt and weight gain that cause both emotional distress and contribute to physiological disease. Understanding emotional hunger requires an individual to consciously realize that it is nothing more than frustration, anxiety and fear that are causing the problem, and to differentiate the craving for food as a substitute for the very real social comfort that they require.

How Do I Get Around It?

In order to combat emotional eating habits the individual in question must find a way to increase their feeling of self-worth and personal confidence. Individuals that are self-confident are seldom subject to emotional eating habits. One of the first courses of action that a sufferer should take is to acknowledge their feelings of low self-worth, and take steps to enhance same. This may well require professional help, a support group or a coach or mentor who can objectively assess the situation and gently guide the individual to an understanding of which particular emotions they are endeavoring to suppress, as well as the root causes of such emotions.

While it is true that some individuals do have obesity issues unrelated to the specific matter of emotional eating, most clinically obese individuals do suffer from this ailment to some degree, and indeed without realizing the underlying psychological matters, may well simply indulge in the following thought processes: “I’m already overweight,” they may think. “It won’t matter if I eat this doughnut. It’s in my genes. I can’t do anything about it.” One doughnut leads to another, which leads to a candy bar, or a bag of chips, or an extra helping of fried food, and so on.

As soon as it becomes clear to a sufferer that the emotional eating is directly related to feelings of low self-esteem and emotional issues, they can begin fighting back. Unhealthy snacking can be replaced with healthy, low-calorie alternatives, such as fruit, low-fat yogurt or raw vegetables, which have the added value of providing a filling substitute, fiber, probiotics and antioxidants.

Exercise is known to have many therapeutic effects; one of those is the stimulation of endorphins that make one feel emotionally stronger and more relaxed. Many people combat emotional eating by performing a series of simple exercises when they find themselves experiencing emotions of stress or low self-esteem. A three to five minute cardiovascular workout including jumping jacks, pushups and crunches, or walking or running up the stairs instead of taking the elevator, can help elevate the heart rate and activate the flow of endorphins, thus preventing feelings of depression from taking root.

Many dietitians and physicians agree that it is far healthier to eat five or six small meals throughout the day rather than eating two or three large meals which cab overload the digestive system. Eating ‘little and often’ can be a positive way to deal with emotional eating, as many emotional eaters are already in the habit of snacking. While this is not a ‘cure-all’, it may benefit some who use food to combat emotional issues.

If you consider that you are an individual who is dominated by your emotions when it comes to food consumption, consider the above facts. Weight gain due to this form of eating can be effectively curtailed by seeking stress relief in various ways that best appeal to your interests and aptitudes: yoga or more energetic exercise is excellent if you are physically capable. If the problem develops into what you would consider to be a serious eating disorder, then professional assistance or coaching may be the preferred solution until you have reframed your internal picture of your true nature with a more positive outlook. Emotional eating can be addressed and overcome, in bit-sized steps if need be.