While new research on nutrition seems to come out every day, and low carb diet books top the bestseller lists, many people continue to be overweight. This is because, even if we know what we're supposed to be eating, there are additional factors that influence how much and what type of food we consume. One of these factors is stress, which is linked to increased emotional eating.
Contrary to our belief, there are many people out there who suffer from social and emotional eating problems. Some people are eager to eat when they are around others while other people eat to relieve the tension of everyday life. However, no matter what the reason may be, emotional overeating can lead to significant weight gain as well as other health problems.
Emotional eating occurs anytime we eat to soothe hurt emotions or deal with a stressful situation. Emotional eating may take place after a rough day at work, an argument with a loved one, or when the kids are running around the house screaming. The first step to stop emotional eating is to become conscious that it is occurring. There are some common emotional triggers which often cause bouts of overeating. Knowing what they are is an important step in the healing process.
Here are some of the more common triggers of emotional overeating:
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Boredom: Boredom often leads to restlessness and the easiest way to overcome this for most people is to eat. The trouble with eating out of boredom is that we often fail to realize just how much we've eaten. It's as though our mind has lost track of what we do.
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Loneliness: Often, people who are feeling lonely, especially after a nasty breakup, tend to "drown their sorrow" in food. Certain foods have the ability to make us feel happier if only for a short while. This isn't whole bad but it can be detrimental if we wish to enjoy a long lasting weight loss.
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Stress: Stress is probably the most common cause of binge eating. Stress sends our body into a sort of internal storm of low confidence, fear, and negative wellbeing. Again, food is the ultimate source of comfort for many of us. It doesn't solve any of the problems but we go to it anyway.
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Tiredness: Now this is interesting since fatigue isn't really an emotion, but we often turn to food in order to keep us awake, especially if we're on some sort of deadline at work or school and just can't go to sleep. Food can serve as a temporary energy booster, but it won't cure fatigue in the long run.
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Feeling Deprived: You feel deprived of the foods which you enjoy and this leaves you craving for them even more. Media's attitude towards emphasizing thinness as ideal has lead to restrictive dieting and avoidance of whole groups of foods. This leads to a feeling of being deprived which is followed by feelings of low self esteem. This motivates the individual to go on over consuming the avoided food in an attempt to numb these negative feelings.
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Needing Love and Comfort: Some people turn to food when they're really needing love and comfort. With the pressure of work both at office as well as at home, people tend to be burned out. All this is acceptable if supported with constant appreciation and love. Lack of appreciation, discouraging remarks leave some people sad and lonely, who tend to turn towards food to find consolation.
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Feeling Upset and Hurt: Some people turn to food when someone says or does something that upsets or hurts them. Anxieties and emotions can also trigger the desire to eat. Some women eat because they are sad or stressed out or even to celebrate when they are happy.
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Habits: Your daily habits are not as healthy as they may be and you may not even be aware of some of them. Often, excessive eating, lack of physical activity and stress tips the scales of our otherwise balanced lifestyles. Many people have found that overeating tends to occur in specific places and times, such as in the evening when you're at home and watching television.
While there are many other reasons for emotional eating, and it's a prevalent fixture in our society, it's not necessarily good for us, as anyone who's watching their weight will tell you. If you're an emotional eater, it's important for you to be aware of this, keep an eye on your triggers, and develop some effective stress management techniques and coping skills so that your body stays healthy and you choose your diet, rather than feeling out of control.
