Emotional Eating
Food For Thought
From the time that we’re children, food is associated with feelings and memories. Soup comforts us when we’re sick. We turn to ice cream after a breakup. Celebrations always seem to have cake. We’ve evolved to have an emotional relationship with food which becomes even more complex under stress.
Right now, in the middle of a pandemic and with all of the tragic events taking place around the world, many of us are struggling. The last few months have been an emotional roller coaster for a lot of us. Not only is it difficult to know that people around you are suffering, we’re also adjusting to new realities ourselves, like being quarantined at home and the fear that someone we love may become ill. During times of distress, it’s not uncommon for some people to self-soothe with food when they feel stressed; it often provides immediate comfort and, in difficult times, we may look for quick fixes instead of long-lasting relief.
The Science Behind It
Now what’s interesting is that in the short term, stress can actually shut down your appetite because of your body's fight-or-flight response, which is basically a physiological state that temporarily puts hunger on hold whenever you’re dealing with something urgent (like a major deadline). This is actually your body’s natural way of helping you make it through a tough situation. But, it becomes problematic when stress continues to persist beyond just a short term period. Research shows that when we’re chronically stressed, cortisol actually has the opposite effect and increases our appetite for foods that are high in fat and sugar, like chips and cookies. That’s the reason why these types of foods are considered "comfort" foods -- they counteract the feeling of stress by giving us the feeling of being soothed.
Be Honest With Yourself
If this is something you’re struggling with, it’s helpful to understand how your current emotional and situational factors may be contributing to your eating habits. The first step is to recognize that you are using food as a way to override negative emotions that may feel too large to manage. These emotions can serve as triggers to overeating. You may be able to identify some of these negative feelings right away (e.g., financial concerns) while needing to dig a little deeper for others (e.g., fear) -- and perhaps there are some that you are not aware of (e.g., low self-esteem, relationship difficulties).
Some common triggers to emotional eating may include:
Loneliness
Anxiety
Stress (or burnout)
Depression
Anger
Excitement (or happiness)
Hopeless (or like things are outside of your control)
Write It Out
Next time you have an urge to grab a snack outside of an appropriate eating window, try to identify which one of the above emotional triggers you may be feeling (and think about others specific to you that are not included on this list, like perfectionism). Figuring out the root cause of your eating habits can be difficult but a big step towards addressing the issue. What are some thoughts that you have that trigger the negative feelings listed above (or other feelings of distress)? The interesting thing is, it may seem like what you’re struggling with is lack of self-control when it comes to food/eating, but in reality, emotional eating is usually a result of feeling like you have no control over your emotions -- it is not a sign of weakness!
Teach Yourself
Research indicates that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can be a useful technique for addressing emotional eating. To keep it simple, the theory behind CBT is that people’s emotional states are a result of their thoughts or the ways that they interpret various situations (and not necessarily a result of the situation itself). Keep in mind that everyone has a unique reservoir of healthy coping skills that can help them respond to negative thoughts that stem from emotional triggers. What are yours and how do you access them?
Think About It
When your body is physically hungry, it will be a gradual process and you will crave many types of food. When the root cause is emotional, the hunger may come on suddenly and you’ll start to crave very specific foods (often ones that you have deemed as “comfort” foods). Next time you crave comfort food, try to first seek comfort through another positive activity.
Call a friend
Watch a video of puppies playing on YouTube
Put on an episode or short clip of an old show you love (Friends, Seinfeld, Sister Sister)
When you eat to nourish your body, you won’t be left with feelings of shame or regret and the end result is satisfaction (because your stomach is full). On the other hand, a way to recognize emotional hunger is when the negative feelings start even before you eat something, and also while you’re eating as well as afterwards. In the end, you still may not feel satisfied or nourished.
Do Something
Taking action is a little easier when you understand why you’re taking the steps that you are. You’ve now identified some of your negative emotions and thought about why you feel the need to eat during certain times. Here are some suggestions to get you started on what to do when those feelings come in:
If you identify feelings of loneliness, call someone who always makes you feel better, play with your pet, or go through an old photo album from a joyous occasion.
If you’re anxious, channel your heightened energy by moving around (e.g., dancing, stretching, taking a walk).
If you’re burnt out, create a warm environment for yourself and bring yourself to the present moment (e.g., light a candle and meditate, put on relaxing music, have chamomile tea, take a bath).
Keep a written list of activities to engage in to manage the negative feelings if they occur again (e.g., read a novel, listen to a podcast, write poetry, watch a comedy show, think about a birthday present you want to get for a family or friend).
Laugh About It
