We are all vulnerable to anxiety. When we experience a situation that overwhelms our psychological resources, we typically respond with anxiety. In some cases, we can turn to food to calm this feeling of apprehension. However, eating out of anxiety will ultimately cause us major problems, both physically and emotionally.
What is emotional eating?
Emotional eating, which most people refer to as anxiety or stress eating, although it can also be triggered by other emotional states such as sadness and depression, involves turning to food to feel better. It means we don’t feel physically hungry, but rather eat to satisfy emotional needs.
In fact, although we don’t always realize it, we indulge in emotional eating when we’ve had a stressful day, when we’re bored, or when we’re feeling depressed and decide to eat a pizza or ice cream. These little treats are refuges we turn to when we need some emotional comfort.
Of course, rewarding ourselves with food from time to time or seeking relief from it isn’t necessarily negative. The problem arises when it becomes our primary emotional coping mechanism, when our first impulse when we feel stressed, bored, frustrated, or sad is to head to the kitchen. We then fall into an unhealthy cycle in which we fail to address the underlying emotional problem.
Emotional hunger can’t be satisfied with food. Eating may make us feel good momentarily, but when we’re done, the feelings will still be there, and even worse, the guilt over the unnecessary calories we just consumed will be added.
How to differentiate emotional hunger from physical hunger?
Emotional hunger can be so intense that it’s easy to confuse it with physical hunger. But there are some signs that may indicate we’re tempted to eat due to anxiety, stress, or depression.
- Emotional hunger kicks in suddenly. It hits us instantly and we perceive it as an overwhelming and urgent need. Physical hunger, on the other hand, occurs more gradually as our body consumes its resources, so the urge to eat isn’t felt as intensely. Unless we haven’t eaten for a long time.
- Emotional hunger craves specific comfort foods. When we’re physically hungry, virtually any food can satisfy our need. However, emotional hunger causes us to crave junk food, usually high in sugar and fat, as these are the ingredients that reward the brain the most. Therefore, when we need to eat out of anxiety, we’ll crave very specific foods.
- Emotional hunger leads to automatic eating. Before we know it, we’ve eaten an entire bag of chips or a tub of ice cream. Emotional hunger causes us to eat automatically and not feel satisfied, while physical hunger allows us to be more aware of our eating habits and satiety cues.
- Emotional hunger is never satisfied. When we eat out of anxiety, there’s no obvious physical sign of satiety. As long as we feel stressed or depressed, we’ll continue eating, often until we feel sick. On the contrary, physical hunger is satisfied.
- Emotional hunger isn’t triggered in the stomach. When we’re physically hungry, we often feel it in our stomach. In the case of emotional hunger, the signal comes from the mind, usually in the form of fantasies about the textures, smells, and tastes of certain foods.
- Emotional hunger often leads to regret, guilt, or shame. When we eat to satisfy physical hunger, we’re unlikely to feel guilty or ashamed, simply because we’re providing our body with something it needs. When we feel guilty after eating, it’s likely because we’re trying to satisfy emotional needs, and deep down, we know it.
3 causes of anxiety about eating
1. Excessive self-control. In most cases, anxiety-induced eating isn’t due to a lack of self-control, but rather to the fact that we’ve depleted our resources. In fact, it’s no coincidence that binge eating episodes occur at night or on weekends. We’re more likely to engage in anxiety-induced eating when we’ve had to maintain strict self-control throughout the day, as this isn’t an infinite resource and, at a certain point, it simply runs out.
2. Food as the sole source of pleasure. We all need to “feed” the brain’s reward system. However, when there are no other sources of pleasure, hobbies, or passions, it’s quite common to turn to food. We mustn’t forget that sugars and fats stimulate the brain’s reward system, as do many other drugs.
3. Difficulty managing emotions. Our society teaches us to avoid anything that makes us feel bad. Unfortunately, it doesn’t teach us how to manage “negative” emotions, but rather to repress and hide them, for which we resort to behaviors that provide immediate gratification but are not the solution. Anxiety about eating is largely caused by this inability to manage unpleasant emotions more assertively.
How to stop eating due to anxiety?
1. Identify emotional triggers. Emotional triggers are any situations or states that trigger the desire to eat. Each person typically has their own triggers. Stress is one of the most common, as increased cortisol levels often generate cravings for salty, sweet, or fried foods. However, boredom and loneliness, feelings of inner emptiness and dissatisfaction with life can also trigger emotional hunger.
2. Find other reward alternatives. You’ve probably associated certain foods with rewards in your mind. This happens especially to people whose parents rewarded them with candy and ice cream. It’s important to change that association and look for much healthier rewards that don’t end up generating feelings of guilt. Each person should find the things that motivate and satisfy them the most.
3. Learn to manage your feelings. Any strategy that doesn’t include a process of emotional growth will be a bit of a chore. It’s essential that you don’t view these unpleasant emotions as negative, but simply as signs that you need to change something in your life. You must find other, more assertive and healthy ways to channel these emotions so they don’t unbalance you. If you don’t feel the need to hide what you feel, you won’t feel the need to eat out of anxiety, depression, or dissatisfaction. The radical acceptance technique will help you deal with these emotions and feelings.
4. Practice mindful eating. Although it may seem contradictory, to stop eating out of anxiety, you don’t need to fight food, but rather learn to enjoy it. Mindful eating is the best antidote to emotional hunger. It starts from the moment you go shopping, avoiding junk food, and continues while you cook, enjoying the process. The final step is to enjoy and appreciate the dishes you’ve prepared with all your senses. When you are fully aware of what you eat, you feel full more quickly and avoid the automatic eating that underlies emotional hunger. Mindfulness meditation will help you develop this attitude.
5. Seek help. In some cases, when emotional eating has become established as a response pattern, it’s difficult to break the habit. In fact, foods high in fat, salt, and sugar can become addictive. In these cases, it’s necessary to seek the help of a psychologist who can uncover the underlying cause of the eating disorder and provide you with more specific behavioral guidelines.
References:
Brantley, J. (2007) Calming your anxious mind: How mindfulness and compassion can free you from anxiety, fear, and panic Oakland: New Harbinger.
Masheb, RM & Grilo, CM (2006) Emotional overeating and its associations with eating disorder psychopathology among overweight patients with binge eating disorder. International Journal of Eating Disorders; 39: 141-146.
Telch, CF & Stice, E. (1998) Psychiatric comorbidity in women with binge eating disorder: Prevalence rates from a non-treatment-seeking sample. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology; 66: 768-776.
Kenardy, J., Arnow, B., & Agras, WS (1996) The aversiveness of specific emotional states associated with binge-eating in obese subjects. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry; 30: 839-844.
Heatherton, TF, & Baumeister, RF (1991) Binge eating as escape from self-awareness. Psychological Bulletin; 110: 86-108.
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