Overeating

People, themselves, are guilty of eating for many reasons other than hunger. People eat because it's time to eat, because others are eating, or even because the food is there. It looks good and smells good. It's not uncommon for people to be labeled by the type of eater they are a slow eater, fast eater, or a person who never eats sweets. Some people respond to environmental cues, such as an event or situation that triggers eating. The sight, smell, or familiar taste of a food can be a cue to stimulate eating. Social events, like parties, mealtimes, and watching television or going to the movies all serve as eating triggers, too.

Cravings

Cravings also lead a person to eat. A craving is defined as a strong desire to eat a particular food. Food cravings can occur any time of the day or night and are often affected by hormones, particularly in women, as observed during pregnancy and episodes of premenstrual syndrome. Dieters are also known to having frequent food cravings primarily because of their intense desire to eat a forbidden food.

Do cravings really exist?

A craving is described as a strong desire to eat a particular food, and yes, they do exist, many times in women who experience changes in hormone levels. Common cravings are for chocolate, ice cream, and sugary or fatty foods.

Emotions

People use food in more ways than to just meet hunger and nourish the body. Many people express their emotions, like love or sorrow, with food. Food tends to make some people feel better. Others use food to fill an emotional void (as in the case of depression or loneliness). And still others offer food as a reward or punishment. In all cases, food becomes more than just nourishment for the body. A habitual attachment can grow as a result of reacting in the same manner to the same food stimulus over and over again.

Physical Versus Emotional Hunger

Experts have now defined hunger in terms of physical hunger and emotional hunger. Physical hunger is defined as the state at which the body informs you of the need for food, as in a growling stomach. In contrast, emotional hunger is when a person eats to satisfy an emotional response, like a reaction to anxiety loneliness, or stress.

Emotional hunger can become a problem for many people, but not all of us are prone to its effects. Emotional eating becomes a concern only when a person's responses to emotions become less and less controllable and when many different types of emotions can lead that person in the direction of food. Over time, these concerns can cause eating problems like obesity and food-related disorders like compulsive-eating disorder.

Food can bring on and satisfy many emotions—joy, excitement, anxiety, and even stress. People develop many emotional responses to food. Here are a few examples:

  • As a child can you recall ever being given a treat to stop crying, or being promised an ice cream cone if you were good?
  • Did your parents ever threaten to take away your dessert if you didn't eat your meal?
  • Did boredom or loneliness ever send you in search of a snack in the refrigerator?
  • Do you find yourself grabbing a cookie just after you've gotten upset or dishing out ice cream just because you are bored?
  • Do you make popcorn just because you are going to watch a movie?
  • Do you reach for certain foods referred to as "comfort foods," like macaroni and cheese, meat loaf, or mashed potatoes, because these bring you comfort?

 

Tackling the Challenges of Overeating and Uncontrollable Overeating

So what can we do to avoid challenges with overeating? Here are some helpful tips to get you started:

  • Don't skip meals. People of healthy weight typically eat three meals and one to two snacks each day. When you skip a meal, you set yourself up to overeat later.
  • Eat meals and snacks in one place in your home (at the dining table). If you want to eat, you take the food to the table. Eating on the sofa, while watching television, or while you're walking throughout the house should be forbidden.
  • Try to eat slower. Take your time. Talk to others at the table. Put your fork down once in a while. And learn to chew your food; learn to stop and enjoy its taste.
  • Remove distractions. Turn off the television. Take away reading materials. Don't talk on the phone while eating. These all take your mind off of what you are eating and will cause you to eat more.
  • Fill your plate at the stove, and put away the leftovers before you sit down to eat. This will keep you on target with eating allotted portions while helping you stay away from double servings just because it's there.
  • Substitute other behaviors for eating. If you are stressed, talk a walk. If you are anxious, call a friend on the phone. If you are fidgety, start a project like knitting, needle pointing, painting, or compiling photographs into a scrapbook.
  • Try to evaluate your need to eat and the cause of your eating. Keep a food diary. If you have difficulties identifying your problems, seek help from a registered dietitian.

 

Get instant download of our Best Selected FREE SLIMMING RECIPES now! Just enter your name and email below:

Your name:    E-mail address:

Back to Obesity