This post was written by Vikki Ratcliff, licensed clinical social worker, Parkview Weight Management.
Emotional eating is eating in response to feelings rather than physical hunger. People may use food to cope with stress, anxiety, sadness, loneliness, boredom, frustration or even positive emotions such as celebration and excitement. Instead of eating because the body needs energy, a person eats to soothe, distract from or manage emotions. Some common examples of emotional eating are:
- Reaching for sweets after a stressful day
- Snacking when bored, even after a meal
- Eating comfort foods when feeling lonely or upset
- Mindlessly eating while dealing with difficult emotions
Is emotional eating concerning?
Emotional eating is not necessarily concerning. Occasional emotional eating is common and does not automatically indicate a problem. Many people have used food for comfort at some point in their lives. When emotional eating becomes concerning is when food becomes the primary way of coping with emotions, it occurs frequently in response to stress or distress, one feels out of control around food, feeling of guilt, shame or self-criticism after eating, unwanted weight changes, health concerns or emotional distress, or episodes of binge eating that interfere with daily functioning. Many people experience a cycle in which difficult emotions lead to overeating, followed by guilt, which then creates more negative feelings and more eating.
A useful first step is learning the difference between the signs of physical hunger and emotional hunger. Signs of physical hunger include the following:
- Develops gradually
- Can be satisfied with a variety of foods
- Includes physical sensations such as stomach growling or emptiness
- Stops when comfortably full
- Does not typically create guilt afterward
Emotional hunger differs from physical hunger in that it:
- Comes suddenly at random times throughout the day or night
- Creates cravings for specific comfort foods
- Feels urgent or hard to ignore
- Continues despite fullness
- Is often followed by guilt, shame, or regret
Other clues include noticing a pattern between eating and certain emotional states, such as stress, boredom, loneliness, fatigue or anxiety.
What to do
If you feel emotional eating is something you are currently experiencing, here are some tips to help you cope.
First, when a craving appears, take a moment to ask yourself if you are physically hungry, what emotion you might be feeling at the time and whether there is something else you need instead of food. Even a brief pause can interrupt automatic eating habits. Many episodes of emotional eating are linked to unresolved feelings and/or situations such as stress, fatigue, boredom, loneliness, relationship conflict, and work pressures. Questioning what your body really needs can reduce emotions and/or situations power.
Another idea to help identify behavioral patterns is to keep a food-and-mood journal. By keeping a journal, you might see patterns of emotion and behavior that otherwise would have been missed. Sitting with an uncomfortable emotion, without food, is alright. But sometimes other coping skills are needed, such as taking a walk, calling a friend or family member, deep breathing to regulate your central nervous system, journaling, listening to music, stretching or exercising, and meditation/mindfulness practices.
If emotional eating feels frequent, distressing, or difficult to control, speaking with a mental health therapist, dietitian or other healthcare professional can be very helpful. Emotional eating often improves when the underlying emotional needs are addressed.
Final thoughts
Emotional eating is the use of food to manage feelings rather than satisfy physical hunger. Occasional emotional eating is normal, but it can become problematic when it becomes a person's main coping strategy. Recognizing emotional triggers, distinguishing emotional hunger from physical hunger, and developing healthier ways to cope with emotions can prevent emotional eating from becoming a larger issue.
