Why is Emotional Eating a Problem for so Many People?

There are many people battling a weight problem who, for some reason, are unable to control what they eat and how much. Everyone has to eat, but for some people it seems almost impossible to eat the right foods in an appropriate quantity. They are hooked on sugary, high-fat, high-salt foods that are extremely calorific and they have difficulty knowing when enough is enough. They keep on eating until they are past feeling full, often feeling ill because they have consumed so much food. This clearly isn't a particularly pleasant feeling, yet they carry on regardless.

Emotional eating could be at the root of the problem for many individuals. There are some people who are just plain greedy and who really enjoy their food, but for others food is an emotional crutch. When they are feeling low about themselves it is food that that gives them a temporary boost, making them forget their problems even if it is only for a few minutes. They try to avoid thinking about the inevitable come down, when they have to face up to the fact they have consumed a whole day's worth of calories in half an hour.

Everyone has issues in their life, but some people are better at coping with what life has to throw at them than others. Optimistic individuals who never let anything get them down may not feel the need to eat lots of sugary food to feel good. They may have their own strategies for dealing with stress, anger and frustration. There are plenty of other people, though, for whom life's difficulties are overwhelming. They need something to get them through the day and food is cheap, readily available and less controversial than drink and drugs.

It doesn't help living in a world where so much is expected of people. The pressure to do well in their professional and personal lives is too much to bear for some people and these are the types who turn to food for comfort. It can be difficult to ask for help and to admit to someone else that there is a problem, so that many people just bottle up all their problems and try to ignore them, whilst using food to dull the pain. Unfortunately, emotional eating just leads to more problems, as it fuels weight gain and can leave individuals feeling down about themselves.

In a society where people face a great deal of stress in the workplace and at home, with lots of tasks that need doing in a short space of time without a lot of support from friends, colleagues and relatives, it is food that some people use to cope. Instead of talking about their problems, individuals are more inclined to use other strategies to get them through, as admitting they are struggling could be perceived as a sign of weakness. This is perhaps why many people who have a habit of emotional eating try to keep it a secret.

The Problem With Emotional Eating

Emotional eating can become a problem, as if you feel that you are unable to control your emotions and use food to comfort yourself, then weight gain is a possibility. It is extremely difficult to stop yourself from gorging on all the foods you know you shouldn't when you are depressed or angry, because you know how good food tastes as well as the positive feelings eating it gives you. Although you may later experience shame and regret, when you're eating you try to push any negative thoughts out of your head.

Unfortunately, you can't ignore the fact you have just consumed a day's worth of calories in one sitting and you end up feeling rather down and frustrated with yourself. You may want to be one of those people for whom weight management is not a problem, but until you learn to control your eating and break the association between eating and feeling better about yourself, albeit temporarily, you will struggle to control your weight.

Although there are some people who eat when they are happy and upbeat, as well as depressed, for many it is negative emotions which cause them to seek comfort in food. It is therefore important to find a way to deal with negative emotions without always turning to food, especially when you know that you will only feel worse about the situation. If you start putting on weight and feel as though you are unable to stop, of course you're going to feel bad and you end up trapped in a cycle of eating to feel better, gaining weight and feeling worse so that once again you turn to food.

This is obviously a situation you do not want to find yourself in, particularly since being overweight can undermine your self-esteem further and make it very difficult for you to remain positive. You therefore need to gain control of your weight, before the issue of weight comes to dominate your life. You have to learn to find ways to cope with stress, sadness and frustration without always turning to food. This may require you to develop relaxation techniques or take up a sport that will get you out of the house and give you an opportunity to socialise.

Indeed, it is important to interact with other people, so that you know you're not alone. There are plenty of other people struggling with their weight and who use food as a source of comfort. However, you don't want the situation to spiral out of control, which is why you have to try to get a grip on your emotional issues and stop relying on food to make yourself feel better when you know that in actual fact it will only exacerbate your problems and leave you feeling worse about everything.