Emotional eating is something that most of us have experienced, but how severe and how frequent this is can vary a lot between different people or at different times in our life. This article explores what emotional eating really means and how we can respond to this in a compassionate and helpful way.
What is emotional eating?
Emotional eating was originally defined as eating in response to ‘negative emotions’ like sadness, anger, and stress.
As we are always experiencing some form of emotion, it can be debated that all eating is emotional to some degree; however, what we tend to mean by ‘emotional eating’ is an increase or change in eating in response to an emotion.
When this occurs in response to more difficult emotions as a coping mechanism this is sometimes called ‘comfort eating’.
Why does emotional eating occur?
There are many different reasons why emotional eating can occur, which varies between different people.
We get energy, satisfaction and pleasurable tastes from food, so it makes sense that we can be drawn to this in the face of strong emotions. Seeking the feeling of fullness may also be appealing when emotions lead to feelings of emptiness.
Although any emotion can lead to emotional eating, stress is a common trigger. Chronic stress has been linked with increased levels of the ‘hunger hormone’ ghrelin, a reduction in the part of our brain associated with impulse control and an increased food intake.
Those who restrict their food intake have been seen to be more likely to eat more in response to stress than those who don’t restrict their food intake. This may be hunger related, the body’s survival mechanism in response to a food shortage and certain foods feeling more special and off-limits than others.
There’s a link between energy levels and our emotions that can go in both directions. If we are experiencing a low mood or intense emotions this leads to feeling lethargic and can impact our sleep, on the other hand, feeling tired can make it more difficult to meet our needs and function well which can impact our mood. We’re more likely to feel hungrier and consume more food, or higher-energy food, if struggling with sleep and energy levels.
If we are experiencing a low mood or intense emotions this leads to feeling lethargic and can impact our sleep, on the other hand, feeling tired can make it more difficult to meet our needs and function well which can impact our mood.
Emotional eating has also been seen to be a learned behaviour in childhood (1). For example, a study from 2019 found that ‘mindful parenting’ (i.e. being attentive, bringing mindful awareness to parent-child interactions, non-judgemental, compassionate, developing emotional awareness and self-regulation) was associated with less emotional eating in their children, linked to less parental stress and using food as a reward less often (2).
Whereas restricting a child’s intake, pressuring them to eat and using food as a reward have been linked with a worsened relationship with food, including increased reliance on food for comfort (1, 2).
Habits, including emotional eating, can also occur at other stages in life depending on the circumstances, support system and coping mechanisms that we have available.
Responding to Emotional Eating:
How to best respond to emotional eating will very much depend on the individual circumstances surrounding this.
Emotional eating is a valid coping mechanism that can be a safer option than other coping mechanisms like drugs or alcohol. But emotional eating can be distressing at times, and may not help in addressing the underlying issue, particularly if it’s our only way of coping.
Bringing in as much self-compassion as possible can help with feeling better and moving on after this has happened. Otherwise, guilt and shame as a result of emotional eating can lead to more emotional eating or possible disordered behaviours like restricting food intake.
There are other things you can try too, like:
Take your time (out)
If you’re looking to strengthen your mental health and better cope with stress, start by taking regular time-outs during the day. This could be as simple as taking a few minutes to read a book. Try a variety of hobbies to find the sweet spot that helps you to de-stress.
Schedule in some gentle movement
Exercise is a really effective self-care activity. A walk or jog can clear your mind when things get too much. Regular yoga has been shown to help diffuse anxiety and depression too.
Remove eating ‘distractions’
If you often find yourself eating in front of the TV or computer, move your meals to the kitchen and focus on your food. This ‘mindful eating’ gets you in tune with your hunger and the amount you eat, helping you gauge the extent of your issue.
Meditation
Mindfulness meditation has also been used as a treatment for emotional eating. Sitting in a quiet space and focusing on your breath is just one simple technique.
Don’t forget that this work takes time. Many people benefit from professional support from a mental health professional and a disordered eating or intuitive eating specialist dietitian as they navigate this, especially if you are struggling with this to the point that it impacts your quality of life.
Summary
• Emotional eating is a very normal part of being a human that can present in severaldifferent ways.
• Emotional eating can become an issue when the behaviours feel distressing or food is seen as the only reason to soothe emotions.
• So it’s important to be kind to yourself when this occurs, to have a range of coping mechanisms available, and to seek support if this is having a negative impact on your life.
References
1. Herle, M., Fildes, A., & Llewellyn, C. H. (2018). Emotional eating is learned not inherited in children, regardless of obesity risk. Pediatric obesity, 13(10), 628-631.
2. Gouveia, M. J., Canavarro, M. C., & Moreira, H. (2019). How can mindful parenting be related to emotional eating and overeating in childhood and adolescence? The mediating role of parenting stress and parental child-feeding practices. Appetite, 138, 102-114