Eating Anxiety Comes From Emotions, Not Hunger

Sadness also makes you hungry, as does stress and frustration over a bad day at work. People who eat from emotions are not always able to distinguish physiological hunger from hunger from emotions. Unfortunately, this translates into health imbalances in terms of cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity and other problems. However, there is a more complex challenge beyond these organic problems.

There is pain, dissatisfaction, guilt and unhappiness. It is true that there are nuances. Everyone has been through the specific time when stress led to an inappropriate eating pattern. The pressure from exams or large workloads often drives people towards this type of behavior.

However, there are other realities that are often not noticed, and eating disorders often manifest themselves in this way. After all, food is closely linked to your state of mind, and sometimes you get into a state you do not get out of so easily. Emotional hunger will never be satisfied with a plate of vegetables.

Anxiety has a penchant for “junk food”. If you do not fix what is behind the anxiety itself, you will only reinforce and repeat the same behavior over and over again. This is because you want to think of food as a tool for emotional relief.

The symptoms, causes and coping strategies of eating anxiety

You have a disorder if your eating anxiety is constant. Furthermore, a large part of the scientific studies on this subject show that anxiety disorders are in most cases the etiological factor of this type of eating disorder.

Research, such as this conducted at the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Minnesota, recorded this relationship. Study author Dr. Corine Webb notes that many of these people, on average, have poor skills in dealing with the emotional states that drive emotional hunger. These are complex situations you should have more knowledge about.

How can you tell if you are starving?

How can someone not know that they are eating because of anxiety? But as strange as it may seem, it is not always so easy. This is because many people do not know how to distinguish between physiological hunger and emotional hunger.

Here are some characteristics of the latter:

• The urge to eat something appears suddenly, impulsively and in the form of urge.
• These episodes of food intake usually occur when you are alone.
• The brain basically looks for foods that give you pleasure, the kind that can give a serotonin cocktail. This can only happen by consuming “junk food”, which you can eat compulsively.
• Hunger from emotions occurs with greater intensity just when you have many duties and are under pressure. For example, you should have started on the project you have to present next week at work. Instead, you sat on the couch with a couple of bags of chips, a pizza and ice cream.

• Thus, that kind of appetite is not physiological, and it is still rarely satisfied. You eat and eat until you are full. The only thing you really want is to feel less empty and stop feeling anxious, so you try to fool it by doing something that pleases.
• Now you have to remember that eating from anxiety gives guilt. Thus, you must continue to eat for and soothe the emotional desire. Instead of feeling satisfied, your discomfort worsens.
• This is because you feel bad about losing control. You know that food is bad for you, and it is even more frustrating to feel that you have hurt yourself.

What is the cause of eating anxiety?

Emotions are obviously the trigger for this anxiety. These moods are usually orchestrated by different situations, but the following are worth highlighting:

• High demands on oneself.
• The constant need to have everything under control. While this may seem ironic, there is an explanation: The need for everything to be perfect can be exhausting and suddenly lead to a rebound effect. Thus, your exhaustion seeks an escape valve through the intake of junk food.
• Low self-esteem and think of foods as a reward mechanism.
• Similarly, food is an escape mechanism in stressful times or only when you have a bad day.

Strategies to reduce and control eating anxiety

To reduce eating anxiety, you need to consider one thing. You should consult a professional eating disorder specialist if you have had this behavior for a long time. Both psychologists and nutritionists can be the best allies in this type of situation.

However, if there is something sporadic and you are aware that your unhealthy habit only happens at certain times, try to follow these guidelines.

• Be aware that the sources of stress and anxiety cause you to eat impulsively. Manage them, focus on them from a different perspective, and take control of them.
• Make changes in your routine and do something motivating that will help you channel anxiety. Do a rewarding activity.
• Seek other types of rewards.
• Try not to eat alone.
• Plan what to eat and do not allow for improvisation.
• Go to the grocery store with a detailed list of healthy foods. Remember this: “Everything you do not throw in the cart will not be there to eat it at home.”
• Learn to deal with your emotions and practice relaxation techniques.

To conclude, most people have dealt with the emptiness in that hole in the stomach that is rarely satisfied, more than once. Emotional hunger is always a product of a mind that requires attention, of the self-esteem you need to repair and strengthen. Seek medical attention as your physical and mental health is important.