Do you find yourself racing to the kitchen every now and then when you’re feeling low or upset? According to a study, people who eat emotionally reach for food several times a week or more to suppress and soothe negative feelings. They may even feel guilt or shame after eating this way, leading to a cycle of excess eating and associated issues, like weight gain.Another group of scientists, including one of Indian origin, said emotional events can make us binge on ice-creams and sweets. While stress eating or emotional eating isn’t a new phenomenon, is it more common amid the pandemic?
Our moods can affect our eating habits
Emotional binge eating is a practice of overeating in order to soothe yourself. “Emotional eating is a coping mechanism from negative emotions, mainly when you tend to overeat to suppress emotions like stress, anger, fear, anxiety, sadness, loneliness, etc. And most often, you find comfort in high calorie, low nutrient, unhealthy food like a bag of chips or a tub of ice-cream leading to weight gain and many other health issues,” Aayushi Lakhapati, Co-founder, UpNourish. It is a known fact that emotions trigger mindfulness and the choices we make. “People who are in a good mood are known to eat better and healthier. This is because when a person is happy, they consume food keeping in mind its long-term benefits on their health. They are mindful of what they consume. This unique relationship between food and mood is both biological and psychological,” says Kanchan Rai, Mental and Emotional Wellbeing Coach.
Emotional eating amid the pandemic
Globally, many studies have reported the negative effects of isolation and lockdown on emotional wellbeing and relatedly on eating behaviour, especially during the pandemic. Losing loved ones, unemployment, work from home, reduced physical activity, lockdowns, etc. have led to increased stress, anxiety, boredom and loneliness. “Negative emotions lead to a feeling of emptiness and void and many look at food as a way to fill that void. Also, because of boredom and finding it challenging to cook food, many people have been reaching out for unhealthy, packaged food for convenience and once you start eating unhealthy, junk food repeatedly, your brain keeps asking for more and it soon becomes an addiction,” explains Lakhapati.
Emotional hunger vs true hunger
“While physical hunger is natural, gradual, and subjected to the timing of your last meal, emotional hunger is sudden and triggered by a combination of emotions such as stress, anxiety, sadness, worry, or fatigue. It is important to indicate that sometimes cravings too may just be an emotional hunger in disguise,” says Dr Siddhant Bhargava, Fitness and Nutritional Scientist.
FACT CHECK
Research suggests that when you are depressed or stressed, you tend to find comfort in food, food especially high in sugar, sodium and fat because such foods are known to activate dopamine (happy hormone) levels in the body bringing you a certain level of joy and comfort. On the contrary, when you’re happy, you make healthier, nutritious food choices.
EXPERT SPEAK
“Emotional eaters crave junk food or sugary snacks that provide an instant rush. The cravings are often found to be of starchy processed foods like cheese pizza, cookies, cake, chips, cold drinks or alcohol”
– Dr Zubeda Tumbi, Clinical Nutritionist & Dietitian, Practo
7 Ways to cope with emotional binge eating
– Have a routine and stick to fixed meal timings
– Cope with your emotions by keeping yourself busy in productive ways. Go for a walk, read, write a journal, talk to loved ones etc
– Practice mindful eating by paying complete attention to the process of choosing, preparing, and eating your food.
– Consider a therapist for cognitive behavioural therapy
– Maintaining a food diary which is a powerful tool to help track habits and patterns associated with unhealthy eating
– Try swapping unhealthy things like chips with healthy items like carrot fingers
– Meditate and practice listening to your thoughts and feelings to stay calm
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