4 minutes to read
Emotional eating and the impact on weight gain
Have you ever heard the phrase ‘eat your feelings’? Do you tend to reach for comfort food when you’re feeling certain emotions, or to help ‘get you through’? This is a type of eating behaviour known as emotional eating.1–3 Here we dive into emotional eating, why it happens and the impact it can have on weight management.
What is emotional eating, exactly?
Emotional eating is the act of eating in response to negative or positive emotions.3,4 Emotions involve changes in three areas - your subjective experience, your behaviour and your physiology (e.g., heart beating faster, sweating, changes in your breathing).5 Emotions can be positive or negative, while stress on the other hand is only related to negative emotions. Both emotions and stress induce a whole-body response.5
Different emotions will have different effects on people’s eating behaviours. For example, high-intensity emotions like fear induce physiological responses that may suppress the urge to eat.5 Emotions that are of moderate intensity could swing both ways, depending on your biology, mental health, past experiences and a whole range of other factors. The type of person whose appetite increases when feeling these emotions may be an emotional eater.5
Another theory is that emotional eating relates to poor awareness of the signals your body is sending. This suggests that some people may be confusing the signals their body sends about their emotional state with the signals for hunger or feeling full.5
What can trigger emotional eating?
The emotions that can trigger this eating behaviour will be different for everyone, but there are some common ones, including:6,7
- Anger
- Boredom
- Sadness
- Loneliness
- Happiness
- Feeling depressed
- Feeling anxious
How does emotional eating contribute to weight gain?
When people eat to deal with emotions there is a tendency to choose energy-dense and highly palatable foods.5 This is because eating this kind of food triggers the reward system in the brain, releasing dopamine and feelings of pleasure (more on this here). After a while, this type of behaviour can lead to positive-feedback loops where eating this kind of food is how a person instinctively copes with their emotions.8
This is how emotional eating can work against weight management efforts. It can lead to eating too much, particularly those high-calorie foods that are low in nutritional content.7 In addition, once the emotion has passed or you feel better (thanks to the dopamine) you may end up feeling guilty about how much you ate - which can lead to a vicious cycle of emotions triggering eating that results in feelings of guilt, which further trigger emotions that lead to eating.6
Research has shown that people who display emotional eating behaviour and tend to eat these high-energy foods more often are more likely to gain weight over time than people who do not. In fact, emotional eating is a risk factor for developing obesity.5
It’s time to put food in its place.
Taking the first step doesn’t have to be difficult. Get started on your way to weight loss by:
Connect to a doctor online
Start an online consultation to receive weight management advice and a program that fits your needs.
Find a doctor near you
Complete a short questionnaire and get a personalised conversation guide for your doctor’s appointment. Next, easily locate a nearby GP for an in-person consultation.
Prepare for your next doctor visit
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Managing emotional eating - building better habits
As more is known about emotional eating and its effects on weight management, interventions and strategies to help modify this behaviour are also being looked into.9 The following are some suggestions on things to try to curb emotional eating.
Awareness of emotions and practising mindful eating
The first step in understanding emotional eating behaviour is to take note of your eating habits - do you tend to eat more when feeling a strong emotion? Keeping a food diary might help you to assess the type of food you eat as well as how you are feeling. Over time, you might start to notice patterns forming that you can take to your doctor or a mental health professional to discuss.6
Mindful eating, a term used to describe attentiveness when eating, may also help.9,10 Mindfulness involves taking the time to notice and attend to how you are feeling in the moment - becoming aware of your emotions without judgment.9 Mindful eating techniques may include:10,11
- Sitting down in a relaxing environment when eating
- Dispose of reminders of eating (wrappers, plates) only once you have finished eating to help your brain remember the meal
- Avoid eating when standing, busy or distracted
If you feel the urge to eat, take a moment and check in with yourself to see if you are actually hungry. If your gut isn’t sending hunger signals, then you may not actually be hungry. Try and distract yourself to allow enough time for the urge to eat die down.6
Finding alternate ways to handle emotions
At its core, emotional eating is a method of distraction.8 Consider finding other ways to soothe emotions. This could be through exercise, by taking a bath, seeking out someone to have a chat with, watch a movie - anything that will help you deal with what you may be feeling that isn’t food.6
Create a supportive environment
You are less likely to engage in emotional eating behaviour if you have a good support network - so reach out to your family and friends, or consider joining a support network.6 In addition, have a think about stocking up on fresh fruit and vegetables and other foods that are high in nutrients but low in energy, so if you do feel the urge to eat, you may be less likely to reach for the high-energy snacks.6
Seek professional help
Remember that help is always available by talking to a mental health professional. They can help you understand your eating behaviours and offer coping strategies to help overcome any that are not serving you.6 Your doctor will be able to point you in the right direction, so they are the first port of call when it comes to discussing eating behaviour and weight management.
Connect with a doctor online and get the conversation started by clicking here. If you prefer face-to-face interactions, complete this simple questionnaire and receive a downloadable PDF of your answers from Break The Crave , which you can use to help your conversation with your regular GP or a local doctor near you.
References
- Cappelleri JC, et al. Int J Obes (Lond) 2009;33(6):611–20.
- Acosta A, et al. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2021;29(4):662–671.
- Cifuentes L, et al. EClinicalMedicine 2023;58:101923.
- Frayn M, et al. J Eat Disord 2018;6:23.
- Konttinen H, Proc Nutr Soc 2020;79(3):283–289.
- Mayo Clinic. Weight loss: Find out how emotional eating can sabotage your weight-loss efforts, and get tips to get control of your eating habits. Available from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/weight-loss/art-20047342?p=1 (accessed June 2023).
- Vallis M, Clin Obes 2019;9(2):e12299.
- Guerrero-Hreins E, et al. Nutrients 2022;14(19):4144.
- Frayn M and Knauper B, Curr Psychol 2018;37:924–933.
- Robinson E, et al. Am J Clin Nutr 2013;97(4):728–742.
- WebMD. Stop unconscious eating. Available from: https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/stop-unconcious-overeating (accessed June 2023).
July 2023. AU-2023-06-0054 Polls: AU-2024-06-0020. Date of approval Aug 2024
It’s time to put food in its place.
Taking the first step doesn’t have to be difficult. Get started on your way to weight loss:
Connect to a doctor online
Start an online consultation to receive weight management advice and a program that fits your needs.
Find a doctor near you
Complete a short questionnaire and get a personalised conversation guide for your doctor’s appointment. Next, easily locate a nearby GP for an in-person consultation.
Prepare for your next doctor visit
Already have a doctor you go to regularly? Fill out a short questionnaire and get a personalised conversation guide for your next doctor appointment.
Date of Approval September 2023.
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