Breaking the Cycle: Unraveling the Complex Relationship Between Stress and Emotional Eating

Most of us have experienced emotional eating, but the severity and frequency can vary greatly between people and at different times. This article explores the meaning of emotional eating and what we can do to respond in a kind and compassionate way.

Emotional eating doesn’t have to be bad. It only becomes problematic when it is used as a primary way of coping with intense emotions such as anxiety or stress. There’s a strong connection between our emotional state and our dietary choices. Instead of criticizing ourselves, we should use these habits as an opportunity for us to better understand our emotional needs, and to find more sustainable, healthier ways to meet those needs. Understanding our triggers, patterns and emotions will help us to tackle emotional eating. Self-compassion and mindfulness are key in creating a healthy relationship between food and feelings.

Table of Contents

What is emotional eating?

Emotional eating is defined as eating to express ‘negative emotions’ such as anger, sadness and stress.

Emotional eating can be defined as an increase in or change in appetite in response to an emotional state.

This is often referred to as “comfort food” when it occurs as a way of coping with more difficult emotions.

Emotional eating does not only involve comfort or unhealthy foods. It can also include any food type or an increase in the amount consumed. It is a self-soothing strategy, used to distract or numb emotional discomfort. It’s often an unconscious act that happens before we are even aware. This behavior is driven by the distinction between regular hunger and emotional eating. Regular hunger is usually satisfied when we have eaten enough food to fuel our body. Emotional appetite, on the contrary, is driven by emotional needs. Understanding the complex relationship between our mental state and our eating behavior can help us develop a healthier relationship to food.

Why do emotional eaters eat?

Emotional eating is caused by a variety of reasons, and this varies from person to person.

Food provides us with energy, satisfaction, and pleasant tastes, so it is not surprising that we are drawn to food when feeling strong emotions. When emotions cause feelings of emptiness, the desire to feel full may be more appealing.

Stress is the most common cause of emotional eating. Chronic stress is linked to increased levels of ghrelin (the ‘hunger-hormone’), a decrease in the part of the brain that controls impulse control, and increased food intake.

It has been found that those who restrict their intake of food are more likely to overeat in response to stress compared to those who do not restrict their intake. It could be due to hunger, a survival mechanism of the body in response a food scarcity or certain foods being more special.

Energy levels can be affected by our emotions in both positive and negative ways. Feeling tired or having a bad mood can affect our mood. If we are struggling to sleep or have low energy, it is more likely that we will feel hungry and eat more food.

It has been shown that emotional eating is a learned behavior in childhood. A study conducted in 2019 showed that mindful parenthood’ (i.e. Being attentive, bringing a mindful awareness to parent/child interactions, being non-judgemental and compassionate, and developing emotional awareness and self regulation) were associated with less emotional food consumption in children.

While restricting the intake of a child, pressing them to eat, and using food as reward has been linked with a worsened relationship with foods, including increased dependence on food for comfort (1).

Emotional eating habits can occur at any stage of life, depending on our circumstances, support systems and coping mechanisms.

Responding to Emotional eating:

The circumstances of emotional eating will determine the best way to respond.

Emotional eating can be an effective coping strategy that is safer than drugs or alcohol. Emotional eating can be distressing and not address the underlying problem, especially if we use it as our only coping mechanism.

Self-compassion can help you feel better and move on. If you feel guilty and ashamed about emotional eating, it can lead to further emotional eating.

You can also try:

Take Your Time (Out)

Take regular breaks throughout the day to improve your mental health. It could be as easy as reading a book for a few moments. Find the perfect hobby to help you de-stress.

Physical activity can make a big difference. Exercises like yoga, walking, or any other form of physical activity can clear your head and release endorphins which are mood boosters. Meditation and deep breathing are also mindfulness exercises that can help you manage your emotions better. Don’t undervalue the power of a social connection. Reach out to family members, friends or support groups. Sharing your feelings and thoughts with others can help you gain perspective and relief. These strategies can all help improve mental health and resilience to stress.

Plan some gentle movements

Exercise is an excellent self-care method. When things become too overwhelming, a walk or jog will help you to clear your head. Yoga has also been shown to reduce anxiety and depression.

Exercise can also improve mood and energy. Strength training can boost self-esteem, as it improves your body image and physical strength. Exercise is a healthy and productive way to release tension and stress. It also helps you achieve a balanced emotional state.

Eat ‘distractions from eating’

You can focus more on your food if you eat in the kitchen instead of watching TV or using the computer. This Mindful-eating’ helps you become more aware of your hunger levels and how much you are eating.

Mindful eating reduces overeating and increases enjoyment of food. This encourages you to enjoy every bite and appreciate the flavors. It will ultimately lead to a more fulfilling eating experience. This habit will also allow you to identify specific triggers of emotional eating and provide a path for better coping mechanisms.

Meditation

Meditation has been used to treat emotional eating. One simple technique is to sit in a quiet place and focus on your breathing.

Remember that this takes time. As they navigate through this process, many people find that professional support is helpful. This can be from a mental healthcare professional or a dietitian who specializes in intuitive eating and disordered eating.

Meditation helps to break the emotional eating cycle by encouraging a nonjudgmental awareness. Regular meditation can help you build resilience to stress and give you better tools for managing difficult feelings. You can choose from a variety of forms of meditation such as guided imagery, loving-kindness or body scan.

There are also many resources, such as apps and online platforms that offer guided meditations and tutorials. This makes it easier for everyone to meditate, regardless of their level of experience. Even if it seems daunting to begin, a daily meditation practice can bring about significant changes over time. The goal of meditation isn’t to completely clear your head, but rather to cultivate a mindset that is open to your experiences and attentive.

You can read more about it here:

* Emotional eating can manifest in many different ways.

When food becomes the sole reason for calming emotions or when behaviors are distressing, emotional eating may be a problem.

It’s important that you are kind to yourself, have a variety of coping strategies available and seek help if it is affecting your life negatively.

* Mindfulness and emotional awareness are powerful tools to combat emotional eating. This involves acknowledging your emotions and finding better ways to deal with them.

* Physical activity such as walking, yoga or other forms of exercise can reduce stress and improve mood. This is a great way to release emotional tension.

* Mindful eating can help prevent overeating by enhancing the enjoyment of food. It can help identify specific triggers of emotional eating.

* Meditation and mindfulness meditation can be used to treat emotional eating. It promotes non-judgmental awareness about thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations.

It can be beneficial to seek professional help, for example, from a mental-health professional or dietitian who specializes in disordered eating or intuitive eating. This is especially true when emotional eating negatively impacts one’s life.

References

Herle, M., Fildes, A., & Llewellyn, C. H. (2018). Emotional eating is learned not inherited in children, regardless of obesity risk. Pediatric obesity, 13(10), 628-631.
Gouveia, M. J., Canavarro, M. C., & Moreira, H. (2019). How can mindful parenting be related to emotional eating and overeating in childhood and adolescence? The mediating role of parenting stress and parental child-feeding practices. Appetite, 138, 102-114
Emotional Eating and How to Stop It
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/diets/emotional-eating.htm
Weight loss: Gain control of emotional eating
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/weight-loss/art-20047342
How to Stop Emotional Eating From Stress
https://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/ss/slideshow-stop-emotional-eating