IS THERE A LINK BETWEEN FOOD AND OUR EMOTIONS?
Food is basically meant to sustain life. However,
sometimes, we feed our feelings rather than our bodies. Have you ever given
yourself a treat after successfully completing a task? I guess you would answer
affirmatively. Similarly, we eat and share food to express love, gratitude, and social connectedness especially during joyous occasions or social
gatherings.
Even in our down moments, we might crave a
particular food to calm the nerves? These examples attest to the fact that
human beings are very much influenced by emotions in their eating behaviours.
How we feel sometimes determine our food choice, the quantity, and frequency of
eating.
Being able to unravel the link between our eating
habits (choices, quantity, and frequency) and emotions could be the first step
towards getting rid of that pot belly or excessive weight. We will be taking a step further from our last article on healthy eating, to explore the connection
between food, our thoughts, and emotions and provide some helpful tips to
minimize emotional eating.
Emotion is often used interchangeably with mood
although there are few differences. Moods tend to last longer while an emotion
may only last a few minutes. Mood may also be diffuse while emotion is about
something more specific. As both influence eating habits, we will use the terms
interchangeably.
WHAT IS THE CONNECTION BETWEEN EMOTIONS AND FOOD?
Studies have shown that both negative and positive
emotions have a bidirectional relationship with food intake. In a study by
Patel and Schlundt, meals eaten during positive or negative mood were
significantly larger than meals eaten in a neutral mood. Another study that
investigated the relationship between different emotions and amount of food
intake found that higher food consumption was reported during boredom,
depression, and fatigue, and lower food intake was reported during fear, tension, and pain. (1)
Similarly, in a study that explored the
differential impact of anger, fear, sadness, and joy on food consumption,
subjects reported experiencing higher levels of hunger during anger and joy
than during fear and sadness. They also reported that during anger there was an
increase in impulsive eating (fast, irregular, and careless eating directed at
any food type available) and that during joyful moods there was an increase of
hedonic eating. In other words, the tendency to eat because of the pleasant
taste of the food. (2)
Emotions may influence food intake through
stimulation of appetite and not necessarily hunger. Hunger is the physical need
for food caused by the contraction of the stomach muscular walls. Appetite, however,
is the desire for food stimulated by the thought, smell, and sight of food. It
is possible to have an appetite for a certain food even when physically full. This
emotional longing for food in the absence of hunger is called craving.
WHY DO WE CRAVE CERTAIN FOODS OR INDULGE IN
EMOTIONAL EATING?
Psychological needs: Scientific studies have
demonstrated the link between the desire for specific food and the need for
certain micronutrients, especially those used by the body to regulate our
emotions or physical conditions. An example is a craving for chocolate.
Chocolate contains phenylethylamine, a chemical that
our brain generates when we are feeling romantic. Craving for chocolate may be
the body’s way of expressing insecurity or loneliness. Another prime example is
the craving for carbohydrates while going through prolonged physical or
emotional stress. However, the reason for this connection is still a grey area
in research. Another perspective is that our bodies respond to prolonged
stress by releasing cortisol from the adrenal gland.
This hormone stimulates hunger and increases the
cravings for carbohydrates which have chemical properties to soothe and relax
us. Indeed both acute and chronic stresses are related to the maintenance of
obesity and as well with relapse. In a different view, focusing mental energy
on food may shift our attention from the impact of the stressor and provides temporary relief.
Boredom or feelings of emptiness. Do you ever eat
simply to give yourself something to do, to relieve boredom, or as a way to
fill a void in your life? You feel unfulfilled and empty, and food is a way to
occupy your mouth and your time. In the moment, it fills you up and distracts
you from underlying feelings of purposelessness and dissatisfaction with your
life.
Childhood habits. Think back to your childhood
memories of food. Did your parents reward good behaviour with ice cream, take
you out for pizza when you got a good report card, or serve you, sweets, when you
were feeling sad? These habits can often carry over into adulthood. Or your
eating may be driven by nostalgia—for cherished memories of grilling burgers in
the backyard with your dad or baking and eating cookies with your mom.
Social influences. Getting together with other
people for a meal is a great way to relieve stress, but it can also lead to
overeating. It’s easy to overindulge simply because the food is there or
because everyone else is eating. You may also overeat in social situations out
of nervousness. Or perhaps your family or circle of friends encourages you to
overeat, and it’s easier to go along with the group.
WHY WOULD CRAVING FOOD BE DANGEROUS?
Emotional eating manifests as persistent cravings
for certain foods, most often, high calorie-containing foods. Consumption of
highly refined carbohydrates can increase the risk of obesity and diabetes.
In addition to the physical health risks, diets with
a high glycaemic index and load (eg, diets containing high amounts of refined
carbohydrates and sugars) may also have a detrimental effect on psychological
well -being. Clinical studies have also shown potential causal effects of
refined carbohydrates on mood; experimental exposure to diets with a high
glycemic load in controlled settings increases depressive symptoms in healthy
volunteers, with a moderately large effect.
Emotional eating in response to stress would rather
compound the problem than solve it. It disrupts efforts to learn healthier ways
to deal with your emotions. This leads to a harder time controlling your
weight, and you may feel increasingly powerless over both food and your
feelings.
ARE YOU AN EMOTIONAL EATER?
Do you eat more when you’re feeling stressed?
Do you eat when you’re not hungry or when you’re
full?
Do you eat to feel better (to calm and soothe
yourself when you’re sad, mad, bored, anxious, etc.)?
Do you reward yourself with food?
Do you regularly eat until you’ve stuffed yourself?
Does food make you feel safe? Do you feel like food
is a friend?
Do you feel powerless or out of control around food?
If you answer yes to most of the above questions,
you may need to consider a change. Why? Emotional hunger can’t be satisfied
with food. Eating may feel good in the given moment, but the feelings that
triggered the eating will still linger making one feel worse than before
because of the unnecessary calories that were consumed.
IDENTIFYING EMOTIONAL HUNGER
Emotional hunger comes on suddenly. It feels overwhelming
and urgent making you scramble for food. Physical hunger, on the other hand,
comes on more gradually. The urge to eat is not so compelling as to demand
instant satisfaction (unless you haven’t eaten for a very long time).
Emotional hunger craves specific comfort foods. When
you’re physically hungry, almost anything sounds good—including healthy stuff
like vegetables. But emotional hunger craves junk food or sugary snacks that
provide an instant rush.
Emotional hunger often leads to mindless eating.
Before you know it, you’ve eaten a whole plate of ‘eba’ (cassava meal) or rice
without really paying attention or fully enjoying it. When you’re eating in
response to physical hunger, you’re typically more aware of what you’re doing.
Emotional hunger isn’t satisfied once you’re full.
You keep wanting more and more, often eating until you’re uncomfortably
stuffed. Physical hunger, on the other hand, doesn’t need to be stuffed. You
feel satisfied when your stomach is full.
Emotional hunger isn’t located in the stomach.
Rather than a growling belly or a pang in your stomach, you feel your hunger as
a craving you can’t get out of your head. You’re focused on specific textures,
tastes, and smells.
Emotional hunger often leads to regret, guilt, or
shame. When you eat to satisfy physical hunger, you’re unlikely to feel guilty
or ashamed because you’re simply giving your body what it needs. If you feel
guilty after you eat, it’s likely because you know deep down that you’re not
eating for nutritional reasons.
TIPS ON HOW TO BREAK EMOTIONAL EATING.
Identify your emotional eating triggers: The first
step in putting a stop to emotional eating is identifying your personal
triggers. What situations, places, or feelings make you reach for the comfort
of food? Most emotional eating is linked to unpleasant feelings, but it can
also be triggered by positive emotions as earlier stated.
Keep an emotional eating diary: One of the best ways
to identify the patterns behind your emotional eating is to keep track of a
food and mood diary. Every time you overeat or feel compelled to reach for your
version of comfort food, take a moment to figure out what triggered the urge.
Write it all down in your food and mood diary: what you ate (or wanted to eat),
what happened to upset you, how you felt before you ate, what you felt as you
were eating, and how you felt afterward.
Observe the emerging pattern: Were you with a
particular person or in a social gathering (Owanbe)?
Identify healthier ways to feed your feelings: In
order to stop emotional eating, you have to find other ways to fulfill yourself
emotionally.
ALTERNATIVES TO EMOTIONAL EATING
If you’re depressed or lonely, call someone who
always makes you feel better.
If you’re anxious, expend your nervous energy by
dancing to your favorite song or taking a brisk walk.
If you’re exhausted, treat yourself to a hot cup
of tea or fruits.
If you’re bored, read a good book, watch a comedy
show, explore the outdoors or turn to an activity you enjoy.
When craving strikes, try and delay eating for five
minutes, when five minutes lapse, give yourself another five minutes
While you are waiting, check-in with yourself: How
are you feeling, what’s going on with you emotionally, even if you eventually
end up eating, you will have a better understanding of why you did it. This can
help you prepare for a different response next time.
Learn to accept your feelings—even the bad ones:
When we don’t obsess over or suppress our emotions, even the most painful and
difficult feelings subside relatively quickly and lose their power to control
our attention.
Indulge without overeating by savoring your food:
Slowing down and savoring your food is an important aspect of mindful eating,
the opposite of mindless, emotional eating. Try taking a few deep breaths
before starting your food, putting your utensils down between bites, and really
focusing on the experience of eating. Pay attention to the textures, shapes,
colours, and smells of your food. How does each mouthful taste? How does it make
your body feel?
By slowing down in this way, you’ll find you
appreciate each bite of food much more. You can even indulge in your favorite
foods and feel full on much less. It takes time for the body’s fullness signal
to reach your brain, so taking a few moments to consider how you feel after
each bite—hungry or satiated—can help you avoid overeating.
Practice mindful eating: Eating while you’re also
doing other things—such as watching TV, driving, or playing with your phone—can
prevent you from fully enjoying your food. Since your mind is elsewhere, you
may not feel satisfied or continue eating even though you’re no longer hungry.
Eating more mindfully can help focus your mind on your food and the pleasure of
a meal and curb over-eating.
Support yourself with healthy lifestyle habits: When
you’re physically strong, relaxed, and well-rested, you’re better able to
handle the challenges that life inevitably throws your way. But when you’re
already exhausted and overwhelmed, any little hiccup has the potential to send
you off the rails and straight toward a pack of chocolate. Exercise, adequate
sleep, and other healthy lifestyle habits will help you get through difficult
times without emotional eating.
REFERENCES:
Mehrabian A. Basic dimensions for a general
psychological theory: Implications for personality, social, environmental, and
developmental studies. Cambridge, MA: Oelgeschlager, Gunn & Hain; 1980 Jan.
Macht M. Characteristics of eating in anger, fear,
sadness, and joy. Appetite. 1999 Aug 1;33(1):129-39.
Dr Bola Fatusin is an associate of Lifestyle
Champions International. She is a Family Physician at Federal Medical Centre,
Gusau, Zamfara state. She is the current education and training sub-group lead
of the African Family Medicine young doctors movement (Afriwon). She is committed
to encouraging lifelong learning among young Family Physicians in Sub-Saharan
Africa and coordinates education and training of Family Medicine residents in
her workplace.
Bola has a special interest in lifestyle medicine
and is a member of the Society of Lifestyle Medicine in Nigeria. She is an
advocate of evidence-based lifestyle and natural approaches to managing chronic
illnesses. She is an uprising researcher focusing on Family Medicine education
and Lifestyle Medicine related issues.
Her works on the role of exercise in depression
management and suggesting a framework for Family Medicine training in Sub
Saharan Africans were published in reputable journals. She is a lover of hymns
and contemporary gospel music. A strong believer in the power of meditation to
maintain physical and mental health. Bola regularly practices mindfulness and
spiritual meditation.
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