The Emotional Eater

The emotions aren't always immediately subject to reason, but they are always immediately subject to action” – William James.

“Sometimes the strongest cravings for food happen when you’re at your weakest point emotionally” (“Weight-loss help: Gain Control of Emotional Eating” – Mayo Clinic Staff).  Many emotional eaters realize that the sweet, starchy foods they are reaching for are wrong, however, the release of opiate-type chemicals in the brain influences choices away from what is good for the body in place of what offers a feeling of comfort.  Emotional eating can be triggered by many factors; stress at work, home or in other relationships, boredom, loneliness, unemployment or financial concerns, conflicts, health problems, bad weather and fatigue.  Unfortunately, this concept of food offering a comfort or distraction from our emotions is ingrained in us from early childhood; anyone who has been offered a sweet treat to stop crying when an infant or to stop that tantrum when a toddler has been taught to believe that food (and usually junk food) is the key to comfort.  In a fast-paced, anxious society where we barely have time to see to our emotions, how do we put our emotions at bay when it comes to our eating?

Emotional eating (which is often associated with compulsive over-eating) is when individuals attempt to preoccupy themselves with compulsive eating to distract themselves from negative emotions.  This uncontrollable eating can occur even when the individual isn’t physically hungry and often leads to feelings of guilt… which then cause a vicious circle as the guilt feelings often lead to more over-eating.  Unfortunately, this habit is taught to us when we are very young; many parents feed infants to prevent crying, some parents prefer to rely on sweet distractions in favor of controlling a toddler tantrum…  and who can blame them???  We all desire to be stress free and comfortable in our world so why shouldn’t parents be granted the same privilege???  It is a difficult thing forgoing our own comfort in search of what is really good for us.  Sugar is also a good pick-me-up; it is that simple, instant energy that instantly lifts the mood!  Why wouldn’t we seek it out when we are at our lowest???

There are several reasons why people emotionally eat; stress and anxiety, which can be inspired by work, lack of it, loved ones or a lack of those, health, the environment and financial issues.  People coping with stress can display a variety of obsessive-compulsive traits; some can exercise obsessively, some can sit and over-analyze every detail, but an emotional eater over-eats.  Standard dietary advice is insignificant to emotional eaters, because they already know that junk food is unhealthy (“Emotional Eating” – Lara Grinevich, Bijana Koga and Deborah Gibson).  They know, but when they are consumed by negative emotions, they don’t care.  Emotions do not respond to logical diet advice, they respond to comfort and as the sugar found in sweet and starchy foods offer an instant high, this drug-like effect often seems like a quick fix to all bad feelings.  Unfortunately, sweet induced comfort is often very short lived.  Most sugar highs last for only 10-15 minutes; “a reactive drop in mood often follows, and the withdrawal misery is made worse by the guilt of having had junk food” (“Emotional Eating” – Lara Grinevich, Bijana Koga and Deborah Gibson). 

There are many warning signs of emotional eating; sudden onset of hunger after a stressful event, unconscious eating (finishing an entire box of chocolates without noticing), increased hunger after eating rather than satiety, an attempt to hide junk food and over-indulgent eating from family and friends, guilt after eating, downward spiral of eating more food as self-punishment for having eaten some food (“Emotional Eating” – Lara Grinevich, Bijana Koga and Deborah Gibson).  Often the first step to altering a behavior is to acknowledge the emotion or situation that triggers it.  When the desire for food can be recognized as a comfort or a distraction, then bad habits can be replaced with good ones.

Although negative emotions can trigger emotional eating, steps can be taken to control cravings and renew healthy eating: 

If stress has been recognized as a cause of emotional eating, other stress management techniques such as yoga, meditation or relaxation can be acquired as a replacement to the comfort that over-eating provides.  In a study headed by Dr. Alan Kristal of 300 people over 10 years, those who did yoga for more than one hour per week had a significantly lower body mass index than those who did not, independent of total activity and diet (“Emotional Eating” – Lara Grinevich, Bijana Koga and Deborah Gibson).  The benefit on mindful eating was unique to yoga, and was not observed in other forms of training such as walking or running.  Yoga also teaches us to train the mind to observe discomfort in a calm and accepting way.  According to lead researcher Dr. Alan Kristal “This ability to be calm and observant during physical discomfort teaches how to maintain calm in other challenging situations, such as not eating more even when food tastes good and not eating when you’re not hungry.”

Becoming more observant of the bodily sensation of real hunger can help emotional eaters gain control of their over-eating.  If you have just eaten and are distracted by a sudden rumbling in the stomach, perhaps ask what really inspired the rumbling?  In this instance sometimes a food diary can be an invaluable tool.  Keeping a track of all foods consumed throughout the day, the times they were eaten and the emotions felt when consumed can help an emotional eater become accountable for foods consumed but, also, recognize patterns that lead them off track.

Like with all problems in our life, our support network is the key to our recovery.  When surrounded by negative people, our most negative thoughts are confirmed and our confidence to move on or change leaves us.  Most of the time our friends and family have our best interest at heart, and if this is the case turn to them in your hour of need.  However, if this is not the case, and those near and dear to you leave you feeling a sense of doubt about who you are and what you can do, seek outside support.  Support groups who have confronted similar problems to you can offer a nurturing environment.  Also, professional counseling can offer a rational prospective when we are caught up in the emotions that govern our lives.

Boredom can be a big trigger toward emotional eating.  Many of my clients who have claimed to eat very well during the day claim to do their worst nutrition behavior in those few hours at night before bed… Many people who claim to have emptied an entire tray of biscuits on a regular basis often do this unconsciously as a hand-to-mouth activity that fills these few hours.  Finding other interests to preoccupy the mind can be an easy way to replace eating with another activity.  Why not put this time to better use; read, surf the net, indulge in that interest that there never seems enough hours in the day for, call friends, listen to music, exercise or entertain that nagging pet you have that seems to crave your attention.  Time is precious, why spend our every waking minute living to eat?  If eating has become associated with a particular activity, for example, popcorn during a movie, or a snack while watching TV, replace this with a better habit such as drinking water or finding a healthier snack alternative. 

If a particular sweet is something that is really enjoyed, save this for a special occasion and, rather than feel guilty for this indulgent moment, enjoy it!  When we deprive ourselves of what we really love, it often makes us crave it more.  However, rather than give in to every weak moment, to alleviate feelings of guilt, show control most of the time, but when those very special occasions arise such as that rich chocolate sponge on your birthday or the beach side fish and chips that acknowledge a particular anniversary, why not cherish the moment?

Regular sleep cannot only help with stress levels; it assists with releasing hormones that assist with appetite suppressing.    Sleep affects several hormones in the human body.  Two hormones that play an important role in stimulating and suppressing your appetite are leptin and ghrelin (“Why Sleep Is Key for Weight Loss” – www.fitday.com).  Leptin is produced by your body’s fat cells and is responsible for suppressing hunger and Ghrelin is released by your stomach and stimulates your appetite.  Lack of sleep can lower the levels of leptin in your body and can heighten the levels of ghrelin, encouraging you to eat more.  Also, lack of sleep affects cortisol levels.  Irregular or shortened sleep heightens cortisol levels in your blood and lowers metabolism as cortisol stimulates breaking down protein into glucose.  Lack of sleep stimulates weight-gaining hormones whereas regular sleep and recovery stimulates metabolism and appetite suppressors. 

For some of us, when comfort foods aren’t stocked they become less of a temptation.  If that pack of biscuits is going to be a constant distraction through those bored, lonely hours of the evening, don’t stock them!  And if the day has proved stressful and full of comfort, don’t plan that trip to the supermarket where your every temptation is within reach or your over- indulgent fingertips!  Sometimes our biggest temptations are forgotten when they aren’t within reach.

Emotions are a funny thing; they can inspire us to our best and worst, they can weaken us when surrounded by our fears and insecurities and they can strengthen us and inspire us when surrounded by what we love most in our lives.  When it comes to our health and nutrition we can be the most admirable creatures on earth- governed by our knowledge of what is good for us, or we can be the emotional eater who lets every negative influence weaken our own self-will to do right by ourselves and succumb to our every whim.  Most of us are logical enough to decide what is right or wrong when it comes to feeding our bodies, whether we let our emotions govern our lives is something else.