Comfort eating or emotional eating, occurs when someone turns to food for comfort or stress relief. Eating to find comfort is common, but it is undoubtedly a problem if it happens regularly and leads to extreme weight gain.
What are the main triggers for comfort eating?
Comfort eating can affect people who are currently suffering from stress. This can range from a break-up to work stress to financial problems. In addition, it is a problem that affects both men and women – but emotional eating is more common in women than in men.
How do I distinguish between hunger and comfort eating?
There are several ways to distinguish between hunger and comfort eating. Unlike hunger, comfort eating hits you immediately and is an urgent need to eat. People typically crave specific food.
Emotional eating is also associated with mindless eating. A slice of pizza quickly leads to ice-cream and cake. More worryingly, you don’t feel satisfied when you’re full and immediately feel guilty or ashamed.
The first step to solve comfort eating is to identify triggers. Is your current workplace toxic? Are you in an unhappy relationship? Are you worried about not being able to pay your rent? Are you feeling a sense of void or emptiness?
As you can see, comfort eating is linked to a variety of stress and mental health problems. Therefore, identifying them and seeking help is the first step you should take to break the cycle of comfort eating.
How do I lose the extra weight I gained from comfort eating?
Losing the weight you gained from comfort eating is a good way to get back on track. In addition to therapy and help from loved ones, losing extra weight can help you feel more confident. It is undoubtedly a crucial step towards a healthier and happy life.
