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Eating Our Emotions
Health | May 25, 2014
Emotional eating is a phrase commonly thrown around these days. Often it’s used in a comical manner to indicate that someone is binging on large amounts of junk food – foods high in saturated fats and/or processed sugar – for a days or even weeks due to stress or anxiety. The truth is that emotional eating, also known as stress eating, plays a significant role in the obesity epidemic and can also be an indication of deeper, dangerous disorders. Recent research done by the American Psychological Association demonstrated a very strong link between stress and weight gain.
Emotional eating tends to effect women more than men. A recent Harvard study indicated that women were more likely to turn to food when stressed whereas men were more likely to use smoking and alcohol as a coping mechanism.
Aside from stress and anxiety, another factor that may contribute to emotional eating is our unhealthy desire to be perfect, especially as women. A study out of the University of North Carolina demonstrated that women who felt a greater need to be perfect were also more likely to binge on junk food.
Though reaching for comfort foods every once and while is perfectly okay, when we do it to compensate for negative feelings or to counter the effects of stress or anxiety, it can become a legitimate problem, especially if this becomes a habit. Also when stress is coupled with an unhealthy fixation on our body image, it can even lead to eating disorders such as bulimia.
First and foremost, when trying to combat emotional eating, we shouldn’t focus on what’s on our plate, we should focus on what’s going on inside our hearts and heads. If we can counter the effects of stress, we can curb our need to emotionally eat as well.
If you already consistently work out with me at the Zgym, then you know that daily exercise is incredibly beneficial for countering negative moods and stress. Meditation is also scientifically proven to positively help manage our emotions. Interacting with friends and family is important for establish healthy moods as well. Research shows that a strong social network allows us to manage stress and anxiety with greater ease than without one.
When was the last time you emotionally ate? How did you deal with it? Let me know. This is an important discussion.
Private Member |
I emotionally eat almost all the time. I think it is the main reason why I can not see results. I will eat almost anything when I am doing this. The other kicker is I eat when I am bored. I think I was raised this way. When there was nothing else to do we ate.
I am slowing killing the boredom eating. Just being aware that I do that makes it easier for me to find something else to do instead. I am also starting to take steps to kill the emotional eating. The process has proved to be tricky but I think we get into such a habit its so similar to addiction. And perhaps in a way it is an addiction. At any rate, I want to see results and I am not going to see any if I keep eating the way I do.
Thanks for everything you do for us Zuzka! You are appreciated!
Private Member |
Mainly when I feel down, anxious, unhappy, frustrated, alone I turn to ice-cream, cakes, biscuits, chocolate. This is also reinforced by the fact that I do have a sweet tooth (cannot resist when chocolate or a cake is around) and I love baking. Rationally I know that what I am doing to myself is wrong. Not just because I can’t get the desired body and 6 pack abs that I want (no matter how much I work out everyday), but most of all because it is dangerous for my health, I know that I can risk diabetes. I keep knowing and repeating myself I am not looking after my body that way, that I am harming myself, but the emotional side doesn’t care and it is the one ruling. Emotions always have ruled my life and actions, no matter how much the pragmatic side tries hard to take over. Lately I have been also exposed to more problems and frustrations. I keep telling myself it is just a moment, it will go away and I keep telling myself I should stay focused on my objective, but emotionally I can’t and here it goes the ice-cream and chocolate eating.
Private Member |
Alessia,
I am right there with you. It’s very hard to care about dieting when the rest of the world is collapsing around you.
I also find that sometimes I just want to enjoy food. I want to have a cupcake.
I’m searching for that balance between stress, eating, and still enjoying life. Just don’t give up on finding that balance. It’s out there.
Celeste
Private Member |
Thanks Celeste 🙂
Private Member |
Hey there,
this is my first comment here, even though I have been following Zuzka for quite some time now.
I have never had weight problems, I have always been quite skinny and active, and ate more (or less) healthy food. However,since about two months now, I have a constant craving for food, any type of food, salads, soups, meet, junk food as well and especially bread and chocolate. I am a little bit stressed, it’s true but I was so about 3 months ago as well. And what is really funny is that usually I lose weight if I am stressed or unhappy; my appetite for food lowers significantly. But now, I can see that I start gaining fat in my abdomen area (even though I workout with Zuzka), but somehow, I just cannot stop craving (and eating :))). So, I am not really sure if this is emotionally eating, but…it would be really helpful if you could give me an advice of how to control my cravings? How do you deal with, when you are having cravings? Thank you in advance. 🙂
Private Member |
hi, zuzka. it’s unfortunate that animals are literally tortured in slaughterhouses ; however, unfortunately, that’s what u get with an unnatural economic-system that is capitalism ; combined with modern-day technology. not a pretty picture. please go to wordpress.com/robotron363 for further analysis.