Imagine this. You have a brand-new personal loan and your work hours are cut, your partner has cancelled a weekend away and the dishwasher has just flooded the kitchen. Before you reach for a handful of cookies or the brie that\u2019s calling you from the fridge, get curious about the motivation behind it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why do we eat if it\u2019s not for sustenance to fuel our bodies? To fill a need? For something to do? Because we\u2019re happy, sad, tired or afraid? Turns out it can be all of the above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dr Michelle May, author of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat<\/em>, says that by asking the simple question \u201cAm I hungry?\u201d you open the door to a deeper awareness and understanding of yourself. \u201cOnce inside, there\u2019s much to explore. You see it\u2019s not just about what you eat; it\u2019s also about why and how you eat. In fact, for many of us, it\u2019s not about food at all,\u201d she writes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n People eat when they aren\u2019t hungry for so many reasons. At a friend\u2019s party, canap\u00e9s are handed around and it seems rude not to try one. Enjoying a crunchy toffee apple at a school fete takes some people back to their childhood. A new mum unconsciously nibbles leftover food on herc hild\u2019s plate. Lovers savour the intimacy of a shared ice-cream in a park as they enjoy the sweet, sweet sunshine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then there\u2019s eating as a coping mechanism, a way to deal with emotions. Natasha Murray, accredited practising dietitian and spokesperson for the Dietitians Association of Australia, says emotional eating is a complex issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt happens when we eat in an effort to satisfy feelings, not hunger,\u201d she says. \u201cPeople use food as a coping strategy for negative emotions such as stress, anxiety or boredom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Emotional eating dulls the senses. For many people eating when they aren\u2019t hungry is a mindless activity that can very quickly become a habit to fill an unknown need. Natasha says it\u2019s a challenging issue to deal with, especially when it comes to marketing. \u201cThey often advertise chocolate at 3.30pm, when people are feeling their lowest and need a quick pick-me-up,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Too many of the wrong kinds of treats consumed to satisfy hedonic hunger can lead to unwanted kilograms. National Health Survey figures showed that in 2015, 71 per cent of men and 56 per cent of women in Australia were overweight or obese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Western Australia-based Dr Ali Dale, who specialises in weight management programs, says pervasive belief systems are compounding the problem. \u201cWe live in an obesogenic environment,\u201d she says. \u201cModern living in the Western world is built around getting food, eating food and ensuring we have enough food \u2014 psychologically we are preparing for a famine that never comes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is a definite link between being overweight and comfort eating, adds Ali. \u201cWe know through research from Cambridge Weight Plan that 90 per cent of women and 80 per cent of men who struggle with their weight [also] comfort eat.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Germany, they have coined a word for emotional eating, kummerspeck<\/em>, which translates to \u201cgrief bacon\u201d or \u201cgrief fat\u201d. While bacon might not be your soothing food of choice, chances are it\u2019s probably not carrot sticks, hummus or anything that\u2019s bursting with nutrients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It turns out there\u2019s a reason why we crave unhealthy foods when we emotionally eat. Ali says there\u2019s a certain biology to comfort eating. \u201cCarbohydrates interact with stress hormones, [so] physically we will feel better if we eat some form of carbohydrates when we\u2019re feeling distressed,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We know food is much more than fuel for our bodies. It\u2019s an intricate part of the rich tapestry of everyday life. It\u2019s away to celebrate, a way to socialise and, according to some, it\u2019s a perfectly normal way to self-soothe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Clinical psychologist and founder of Treat Yourself Well, Louise Adams, says food is a valid and legitimate way to find comfort. \u201cI know that might seem a bit radical, but I believe it\u2019s only an issue if it\u2019s interfering with your quality of life; if it\u2019s having a negative impact on your emotional or physical health,\u201d she says. Clinical psychologist and founder of Treat Yourself Well, Louise Adams, says food is a valid and legitimate way to find comfort. \u201cI know that might seem a bit radical, but I believe it\u2019s only an issue if it\u2019s interfering with your quality of life; if it\u2019s having a negative impact on your emotional or physical health,\u201d she says.Clinical psychologist and founder of Treat Yourself Well, Louise Adams, says food is a valid and legitimate way to find comfort. \u201cI know that might seem a bit radical, but I believe it\u2019s only an issue if it\u2019s interfering with your quality of life; if it\u2019s having a negative impact on your emotional or physical health,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The smooth texture of ice-cream, the palatable crunch of hot fries, the zesty bite of chilli on your tongue \u2014 no matter what your emotional indulgence, few would argue that a tough day doesn\u2019t become cheerier with your favourite indulgence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Louise is also quick to point out that, just because you have a chocolate biscuit or two, it doesn\u2019t mean you need to eat the whole packet. And if you learn more about yourself, you might not feel the need to. She says the key to managing overindulging is to tune in to your body. \u201cYour body is always talking to you, but we often don\u2019t listen until it starts shouting.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Deprivation is a powerful stimulant. When something is taboo it\u2019s human nature to want it even more. So, if it\u2019s caramel slice you\u2019re daydreaming about, have a serve and enjoy its sweetness and texture. Give yourself permission to have it and the desire wanes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to research from Cornell University Food and Brand Lab, just a little bit of food considered a treat can be enough to fulfil the craving. In a study,participants were split into two groups. The group offered less chocolate, apple pie and potato chips still felt the same reduction in hunger and cravings than the group who were offered considerably more. In other words, just a small amount was enough to satisfy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Did you know you make 221 food-related decisions every single day? In another study from Cornell University Food and Brand Lab, researchers found people guessed they made around 15 food decisions a day. The real number is more than 12 times that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ali says many of these food-related decisions are unconscious. \u201cTo help manage eating habits, create an environment where you make healthy decisions easily,\u201d she says.\u201cThat way unhealthy decisions have to be made more consciously \u2014 there\u2019s more effort.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, instead of keeping ice-cream in the freezer, if you\u2019re craving it, head to the shops and get it so the process is more intentional and less impulsive. Always have nourishing snacks within easy reach, like raw nuts, bliss balls and fruit.When you eat at a buffet, stand more than two metres away. \u201cAt that distance, it\u2019s no longer an unconscious decision for you to reach for the food and eat more than you intended,\u201d Ali adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you know what being hungry really means? True hunger feelings are stomach rumbles, feeling emptiness or hollowness in your stomach and fatigue. Other more pronounced signals can include irritability, shakiness, headache and an inability to focus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Natasha says it\u2019s important to learn what true hunger really is and how it feels. \u201cA hunger scale works as a guide to gauge true hunger \u2014 it ranges from one to 10,\u201d she says. \u201cOne is \u2018I\u2019m not really hungry at all\u2019 and 10 is \u2018I\u2019m absolutely ravenous. I could eat a horse and chase the rider!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Take a walk in the sunshine, sit under a tree and revel in the beauty of nature. Crank up the volume on your stereo and sing along to your favourite music. Call a buddy and have a rant. Choose whatever feels right for you to fill the emotional void you habitually seek to satisfy with food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And, if you\u2019ve munched your way through a packet of chips after a rough day, make sure you forgive yourself. Acknowledge your actions were driven by feelings, get curious about how to manage those emotions in the future and, most importantly, be kind and compassionate towards yourself, as no one is perfect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kids do it naturally. When most kids are hungry, they eat. When they aren\u2019t, they don\u2019t. \u201cThey tune in to their senses to find out if they\u2019ve had enough of something,\u201d Louise says. We need to get back in touch with our bodies. We\u2019ve all been taught to ignore our bodies and listen to the rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOne of the principles of intuitive eating is that, without set food rules, we naturally gravitate towards a large variety of health-providing foods,\u201d says Louise. \u201cWe don\u2019t need diets to tell us what to eat. If we have a little faith, our bodies take care of that for us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Food is often put into two distinct categories: healthy or unhealthy. According to Louise,it\u2019s a concept we need to turn on its head. \u201cWe are in food prison trying to be good and eat good food all the time, but secretly we are looking out the window at the bad food and craving it,\u201d she says. \u201cBreaking free from that means saying there\u2019s no good or bad food; it\u2019s making all food morally neutral.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Have you ever found yourself eating your way through a slice of last night\u2019s pizza but don\u2019t remember even opening the fridge? A 2015 review on mindfulness and eating behaviours by psychologists at Birmingham University determined that mindfulness-based interventions reduce weight, emotional eating and automatic eating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Natasha says, before you reach for food as a means to de-stress, pause for a beat. Slow down your breathing and savour every morsel. \u201cIf you are eating a piece of chocolate, for example, tune in to your senses when you do so you can fully enjoy it,\u201d she says. \u201cHow does it feel in your mouth? How does it change texture as it melts?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n By slowing down and tuning in when eating, you can then ask yourself, \u201cDo I really want to eat everything I have in front of me, or am I satisfied?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n A nutritious diet based on a range of foods from the five food groups \u2014 fruit, grains, lean meats and poultry, milk and yogurt, vegetables and legumes \u2014 can also help to minimise comfort or emotional eating. \u201cWe know we are healthier when we eat a broad selection of healthy foods,\u201d Natasha says. \u201cThe healthier your diet, the more you\u2019re able to cope with stressful situations and the less likely you may resort to emotional eating to fill a need.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you feel that emotional eating is negatively impacting on your life, seek help from a trusted health professional.<\/p>\n\n\n\nToo much of a good thing?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Chocolate hugs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Never say no to foods you love<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Decisions, decisions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What are your body\u2019s hunger signals?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How to manage emotional eating<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Do something else to nurture yourself<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Eat intuitively<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Good food or bad?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Take a mindful moment<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Balance it out<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Quick tips to manage emotional eating<\/h2>\n\n\n\n