What is Emotional Overeating?

Posted on June 4, 2009 in Latest News

Was there an instance where you reached out for a bag of chips or a jar of cookies just because you were stressed out or angry? If this has happened, you might be the victim of emotional overeating. Emotional overeating is eating food to distract yourself from emotions. Often it is done unknowingly and can lead to piling up of pounds and obesity.

Stress, anxiety, worry and sadness are the primary reasons people resort to emotional overeating. Food can act as a cushion against these feelings and bring temporary relief. Overeating is often followed by feelings of guilt, poor self-esteem etc. So, emotional overeating whether you recognize it or not, is not good for physical or mental health.

People also tend to overeat during times of extreme happiness. Parties, holidays, anniversaries, birthdays, can be opportunities where you set aside your diet and start overeating. Paying attention to what you eat during partying can help in overcoming this problem

How to Overcome Emotional Overeating?
Here are a few tips to overcome emotional overeating:

Pay attention to what you eat: Emotional overeating is often done unknowingly where you do not pay attention to what you eat. This problem becomes worse when you are watching television or doing other tasks. So, always focus on what you eat and its quantity.
Recognize the triggers: Triggers are the cirؤumstances or situations – which make you to overeat. Stress, worry, anxiety are few of the common triggers. Recognize your triggers and make a note of them. Then you can formulate a plan to overcome the triggers when they arise.
Keep a food diary: A food diary can be used to record the the type of food, the quantity of food, and the reason why you ate the food. Keeping this diary over a period of time can reveal some of the behavior patterns and you can correct these to stop emotional overeating.
Find alternatives to food: Hobbies such as playing an instrument or painting are good ways to overcome emotional lows. Find a new hobby or just discover good alternatives such as taking a walk, enjoying the nature etc. to overcome the negative emotions
Exercise: While exercising might seem like a tough solution, it can relax you and help you overcome your stress. Moreover, exercise can also help in reducing the appetite, which can benefit you greatly
Keep the junk food out of reach: Avoid stocking high-calorie food or junk food in your home. This will keep you from eating such food whenever you feel emotionally low
Eat healthy: Eating healthy food will provide you with good nurtition and it will also reduce your hunger cravings.

Emotional overeating is best overcome by speaking to a friend, resolving issues which are causing stress, and making sure food does not become your source of comfort. Even though overeating can become a habit, being vigilant about what you eat can keep you from eating emotionally.

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What is Emotional Overeating?

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