What you probably already know: If you tend to run to the pantry when you’re feeling sad or angry, you’re not alone. Scientists call this “emotional eating,” which means using food as a way to cope with feelings or as an attempt to avoid uncomfortable emotions. But a new study published in the journal Appetite found that it’s not just negative emotions that can drive emotional eating: both pleasant and unpleasant emotions can drive this behavior. Older participants generally experienced fewer food cravings when they were less emotional, having greater control over their cravings and less likely to consume sweet and savory foods unnecessarily. The same study shows that participants who lost more weight had weaker urges to grab food whether they were feeling great or not.
Why? Emotional eating is one of the most common ways people deal with difficult feelings, says psychoanalyst and author of The Binge Cure, Dr. Nina Savelle-Rocklin. “Emotional hunger comes on suddenly, craves specific comfort foods, and doesn’t stop even when you’re physically full,” she says. For some, emotional eating is used as a coping strategy, triggered by stress, loneliness, boredom, grief, or anxiety.
What it means: Eating habits are even more amplified during menopause. The hunger-suppressing effect of estrogen is reduced, resulting in higher calorie intake. Women in menopause are more likely to store excess fat in the body due the decrease in metabolism. Unhealthy diets leading to weight gain are characterized by high fat and salt intake in women ages 50-59, and also include low calcium and vegetable plus fruit consumption. Meanwhile, diet and physical activity can have a significant impact on menopausal symptoms, exacerbating existing issues.
What happens now? About 38% of participants during the study said group support made a positive impact when it came to sustainable weight loss. Researchers also observed that people with greater social interaction and hobbies tended to keep healthier food in their surroundings.
According to Harvard Health, people can interrupt the cycle of emotional eating by switching gears such as going on a five-minute walk, sitting outside, or calling a close friend to chat. Although emotional eating might be an automatic response for some, Dr. Savelle-Rocklin said neural pathways can be reformed with just a few steps. First, pause and identify the emotion, acknowledge it, and replace the negative thought with a positive one, she says. Address the root of the emotion and get professional support from a coach or a therapist if needed.
