Emotional Eating, otherwise known as stress eating, comfort eating, or emotional overeating, is described as the behavior wherein a person eats in response to their emotions, either positive or negative emotions.
Though emotional Eating is associated or linked to stress, worry, or sadness, it can happen during joyful experiences, like celebrating a special occasion or improving an already positive feeling. Specialists claim that emotional eating is usually associated with the consumption of appealing, high-density food, rather than eating in response to physical hunger.
Emotional hunger does not serve the same purpose as true hunger in the body, since true hunger is the body’s need for nourishment, while emotional hunger is the result of the mind.
Recent studies indicate that up to 16 percent of people in their middle ages are affected by poor emotional eating. Although such practices may serve as temporary solutions for emotional expression, studies have shown that in most cases, they can actually intensify levels of emotional distress to feel guilty or ashamed of having engaged in such activities later on.
The negative emotional eating is not so rare, especially as a coping strategy. Even though in negative emotional eating, individuals eat for emotional comfort, research indicates that in some instances, emotional distress is enhanced to trigger feelings of guilt and shame.
Emotional eating is a type of emotion-focused coping, and it involves the regulation of individual internal feelings through food, rather than dealing with the situations causing stress. This type of eating may contribute to the risk of developing the binge-eating type of eating disorder, among others.
To determine emotional eating or to research the behaviors of individuals with this eating pattern, tests such as the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire are administered. Then there are tools such as the Palatable Eating Motives Scale to ensure an understanding of why one may consume palatable foods when not hungry. These reasons may include stress relief, eating with others, reward anticipation, or conformity to social influences.
While emotional eating can be a source of comfort, serious issues related to physical and mental well being can arise, according to experts. Turning to food due to stress or other negatively/emotionally based feelings leads individuals to potential physical issues, including obesity, digestive problems, or a lack of nutrients, among others. Subjectively, individuals with eating habits driven by emotions can find feelings of guilt, embarrassment, or a lack of confidence heightened by the process.
Health professionals recommend increasing awareness about eating habits and learning to distinguish between physical and emotional hunger. Mindful eating habits, managing stress, and identifying alternative ways of coping can aid in overcoming emotional eating.
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