After hours of non-stop WFH or doomscrolling for all pandemic news, that packet of chips always spells comfort, doesn’t it? The fact that we learnt to whip some interesting banana bread, panipuri and dalgona coffee and other “gourmet” dishes over the course of the last year, is only adding to indulgence! Dealing with panic, fear, or facing uncertainties, inevitably leads to stress eating. However, if you often find your home littered with chips, chocolates, namkeen and chiwda packets – you are literally eating your stress and emotions!
In the pandemic…
27% are eating less healthily
48% do not feel motivated enough to eat well
63% state boredom as the reason for eating unhealthy food
(Source: YouGov survey by British Nutrition Foundation)
Eating one’s feelings
Since the lockdown of 2020, every time Pune based IT professional Neerja Shrivastava felt overwhelmed, she would immediately open Zomato and order something greasy or sweet. “When my parents came to stay with me in the unlock phase, they pointed out how I was eating my emotional problems, like long work hours, missing human interaction and everything that upset me,” she reveals.
There is a steady rise in stress eating during the lockdown and pandemic
Likewise, Vedanto Chattopadhyay, who works as a banker in Bengaluru, has been stocking up his pantry with crispies, frozen food and tea cakes on a weekly basis “to deal with whatever comes my way” he says. “These food items are comforting and lull me into a satisfaction that things will be alright soon. I never ate like this before the lockdown, but in the last year, I have become 8 kgs overweight, by eating for comfort,” he adds.
Even experts have noted that the pandemic has increased stress eating or emotional eating. “It seems very natural to seek comfort in ‘eating good food’ when faced with stressors as big as pandemic and lockdown. The pastries, cakes, chips, friend snacks appear like the only good thing happening to you while anxiety and stress wreak havoc in your life. But this coping strategy is harmful in the long run as it can lead to multiple physical issues,” notes clinical psychologist Sarvesh Rana.
How to counter emotional eating?
The most important step to counter emotional eating is learning to differentiate between emotional and physical hunger. Psychiatrist Dr Sayali Das explains, “If your stomach is grumbling, or a headache is coming on and you feel light headed – then you are actually hungry. But, if you are eating when you feel low, bored, unhappy and have specific cravings like chocolates, ice-cream, cakes or pizza – you may not actually be hungry; you are just trying to soothe an unpleasant or unwelcome feeling.” She adds that once this difference is established, countering it becomes easier. “People generally blame food for gaining weight but overdoing any kind of emotional eating – even if it is salads – can be detrimental. The individuals need to find intervention for the negative emotion, not food,” she says.
Planning your meals beforehand can help counter emotional hunger
Break the cycle of emotional eating
-Identify the problem: Find out what’s making you binge eat? Then change the environment around you to counter that emotion
-Process your emotions: Try journaling, venting it out or accepting what you are going through
-Indulge in healthy, yet balanced food: If you go on fad diets, you will end up messing the system even more. Focus on eating right
-Don’t get caught in the guilt of gaining weight: Rather, shift your focus towards feeling fit
-Having meal plans and routine is key in breaking the cycle: Stock up your pantry and plan meals for the week to avoid eating junk
“Breaking the cycle of emotional eating will take time. While you’re working towards it, be kind to yourself, try to meditate and take up some form of physical activity and stay hydrated”
– Gauri Anand, a nutritionist
