Emotional eating is a common way of coping with stress, with people turning to high-fat, protein and carbohydrate foods known as “comfort foods”. This can lead to weight gain and, in some cases, more serious eating disorders such as bulimia nervosa. Breaking the habit is difficult as people need food to survive.
Each of us has to deal with stress at one time or another and everyone deals with it in their own way. For millions of people, emotional eating or using food to deal with stress is a way of coping. Emotional eaters turn to food when they are upset, hoping it will improve their negative feelings.
Those who deal with feelings with emotional eating tend to choose foods that are high in fat, protein, and carbohydrates, or “comfort foods.” Some common comfort foods include ice cream, chocolate, pizza, mac and cheese, and fast food, to name a few. These components work chemically in the brain to temporarily improve mood.
Depending on the types of food a person prefers, the result can be either a sedative or a stimulating effect. For example, tryptophan is an amino acid found in protein-rich foods and is well known for its calming and sleep-inducing effects. Dairy products contain a good amount of tryptophan, which is why an emotional eater may choose ice cream or pizza as a response to anxiety.
The media portray emotional eating very well, albeit unrealistically. TV dramas and sitcoms show an actress enjoying a gallon of ice cream after a breakup or a junk food to deal with anxiety before a big event. These scenes pull off their effect well, however the actresses or in some cases the actors are often attractive, skinny and unrepresentative of the many millions of people who struggle with emotional eating due to negative feelings and rising issues. of weight that can come along with that.
For most people who often indulge in emotional eating, weight gain is often the biggest consequence. However, for some people, emotional eating can lead to more serious problems. Emotional eating may progress to more serious eating disorders and/or food addictions.
One of the main eating disorders associated with emotional eating is bulimia nervosa. Sufferers with this disorder report trying to fill a psychological void or feeling of emptiness with food. This disorder is accompanied by vomiting after a large amount of emotional eating to prevent weight gain. Mood swings, low self-esteem, feeling out of control, and unexplained weight gain are some warning signs of deeper issues related to emotional eating and may indicate an eating disorder.
Emotional eating is not always an indication of disordered eating, but it is often a contributing factor in obesity and its associated health risks. This is a case of food addiction that is very difficult to solve. People who eat to relieve stress do not have the option of giving up food completely, as is recommended for those who are addicted to alcohol or drugs. Obviously, people need food to survive, which makes emotional eating an extremely difficult habit to break.
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