Emotional Eating Vs Overeating: What's The Difference?

Emotional eating is when people eat in response to emotions, whether positive or negative, instead of physical hunger. Emotional eating is often used as a means of coping with difficult emotions, and can lead to overeating. However, emotional eating does not address the underlying emotional issues and can lead to feelings of guilt and shame. Overeating is consuming more food than what is required by the body, which can be a result of emotional eating. While emotional eating and overeating are linked, they are not necessarily the same thing. Emotional eating is about using food to deal with emotions, while overeating is about consuming more food than the body needs, which may or may not be driven by emotions.

Emotional eating is a response to both positive and negative emotions

Emotional eating is when people use food to deal with their feelings instead of to satisfy hunger. Emotional eating is a response to both positive and negative emotions. While emotional eating is often associated with negative emotions, it can also be triggered by positive emotions, such as rewarding oneself for achieving a goal or celebrating a happy event.

People often turn to food when they are stressed, lonely, sad, anxious, or bored. However, emotional eating can also be linked to positive feelings, such as the romance of sharing dessert on Valentine's Day or celebrating a holiday feast. Emotional eating patterns are often learned in childhood. For example, a child who receives candy as a reward for a good grade may grow up to use candy as a way to celebrate achievements. Similarly, a child who is given cookies to stop crying may learn to associate cookies with comfort.

Emotional eating can lead to weight gain and cycles of binge eating. The problem with emotional eating is that once the pleasure of eating fades, the underlying emotions remain, and individuals may feel worse due to consuming excess calories or eating unhealthy foods. Emotional eating can also lead to feelings of guilt, powerlessness, and shame.

Emotional hunger is distinct from physical hunger. It tends to be sudden and urgent, craving specific comfort foods, and is not satisfied once an individual is full. Emotional hunger is also associated with regret, guilt, or shame, whereas physical hunger is simply the body's way of signalling its need for nutrients or calories.

To break the cycle of emotional eating, it is essential to identify personal triggers and find alternative ways to manage emotions. Keeping an emotional eating diary can help individuals understand their patterns and triggers. Developing healthier coping strategies, such as exercise, mindfulness, or social connections, can help individuals manage their emotions without relying on food.

Emotional eating is a learned behaviour

These roots of emotional eating can be deep, making it extremely challenging to break the habit. The good news is that it is possible to unlearn these patterns. The first step is to become aware of what's going on. Keeping a food and mood diary can help identify the patterns behind emotional eating. Every time you overeat or feel compelled to reach for comfort food, take a moment to figure out what triggered the urge.

Emotional eating is often linked to unpleasant feelings, but it can also be triggered by positive emotions, such as rewarding yourself for achieving a goal or celebrating a happy event. Common causes of emotional eating include:

• Stress
• Stuffing emotions
• Boredom or feelings of emptiness
• Childhood habits
• Social influences

It's important to find other ways to fulfil yourself emotionally and manage your emotions without relying on food. This may include calling a friend, exercising, treating yourself to a cup of tea, or reading a good book. Mindfulness techniques can also be helpful in combatting emotional eating.

Emotional hunger vs physical hunger

Emotional hunger and physical hunger are two different things. Emotional hunger is when people eat to satisfy emotional needs rather than physical hunger. It is often a way to cope with difficult emotions. Emotional eating is usually associated with negative emotions, but it can also be linked to positive emotions, such as celebrating an event or enhancing a good mood. Emotional hunger can be powerful and urgent, whereas physical hunger comes on gradually and can be satisfied with a variety of foods.

Emotional Hunger

• Comes on suddenly and feels overwhelming and urgent
• Craves specific comfort foods, often junk food or sugary snacks
• Leads to mindless eating, resulting in consuming large amounts without fully enjoying it
• Isn't satisfied once full and can lead to overeating
• Isn't located in the stomach but felt as a craving in the head
• Often leads to feelings of regret, guilt, or shame after eating

Physical Hunger

• Comes on gradually and doesn't demand instant satisfaction
• Is open to various food options
• Allows you to feel satisfied and stop eating when your stomach is full
• Doesn't make you feel bad about yourself; you're simply nourishing your body

Emotional eating can become a habit, and it's important to distinguish between emotional and physical hunger. Emotional eating can affect weight, health, and overall well-being. It can lead to weight gain, cycles of binge eating, and even more serious eating disorders. It's crucial to find healthier ways to deal with emotions and break free from the cycle of emotional eating.

Emotional eating can lead to binge-eating disorder

Emotional eating is when people use food to deal with feelings instead of satisfying hunger. Emotional eating can be triggered by both positive and negative emotions. While emotional eating is not an eating disorder in itself, it can be a sign of disordered eating, which may lead to developing an eating disorder. Emotional eating can lead to binge-eating disorder, especially if eating is used as a coping strategy. Emotional eating can also lead to "mindless eating", where an individual is not mindful of what or how much they are consuming. This can result in weight gain and, in some cases, abdominal obesity, which is linked to a greater risk of metabolic and cardiovascular disease.

Emotional eating usually occurs when one is attempting to satisfy their hedonic drive, or the drive to eat palatable food to obtain pleasure in the absence of an energy deficit. It can also occur when one is seeking food as a reward, eating for social reasons, eating to conform, or eating to regulate inner emotional states. When engaging in emotional eating, individuals tend to seek out energy-dense foods rather than just food in general.

Emotional hunger is different from physical hunger. It comes on suddenly and feels urgent, whereas physical hunger comes on gradually. Emotional hunger craves specific comfort foods and often leads to mindless eating. Emotional hunger isn't satisfied once you're full and can lead to eating until you're uncomfortably stuffed. It is also not located in the stomach but is felt as a craving you can't get out of your head. Emotional hunger often leads to regret, guilt, or shame, whereas satisfying physical hunger is unlikely to lead to negative feelings.

To manage emotional eating, it is important to identify your triggers and find alternative ways to fulfill yourself emotionally. Keeping an emotional eating diary can help you understand your patterns and triggers. You can also practice mindful eating, where you slow down and savour every bite, paying attention to the textures, shapes, colours, and smells of your food. This can help you enjoy your food more and make you less likely to overeat. Additionally, exercising, getting enough sleep, and practising relaxation techniques can help you manage difficult emotions without turning to food.

How to stop emotional eating

Emotional eating is when you eat food to cope with difficult emotions. It has nothing to do with hunger, and it is typical to eat a lot more calories than your body needs. Emotional eating often becomes a habit. If you have used food to soothe yourself in the past, you may crave junk food or sugary snacks the next time you are upset.

Identify your 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? Keeping an emotional eating diary can help you identify patterns behind your emotional eating. Every time you overeat, take a moment to figure out what triggered the urge.

Find other ways to feed your feelings

If you don’t know how to manage your emotions in a way that doesn’t involve food, you won’t be able to control your eating habits for very long. You need to find other ways to fulfill yourself emotionally. For example, if you’re depressed or lonely, call someone who always makes you feel better, play with your pet, or look at a favorite photo or cherished memento. If you’re anxious, expend your nervous energy by dancing to your favorite song, squeezing a stress ball, or taking a brisk walk.

Pause when cravings hit and check in with yourself

Most emotional eaters feel powerless over their food cravings. Take a moment to pause and reflect when you’re hit with a craving, and give yourself the opportunity to make a different decision. Ask yourself how you are feeling and what’s going on emotionally. Even if you end up eating, you’ll have a better understanding of why you did it.

Indulge without overeating by savoring your food

When you eat to feed your feelings, you tend to do so quickly and mindlessly. By slowing down and savoring every bite, you’ll not only enjoy your food more but you’ll also be less likely to overeat. Try taking a few deep breaths before starting your food, putting your utensils down between bites, and really focusing on the experience of eating.

Support yourself with healthy lifestyle habits

When you’re physically strong, relaxed, and well-rested, you’re better able to handle difficult situations. Exercise, sleep, and other healthy lifestyle habits will help you get through challenging times without emotional eating. Make daily exercise a priority, aim for 8 hours of sleep every night, make time for relaxation, and connect with others.

Frequently asked questions