Emotional Eating Essay

Definition -when mess use food as a way to deal with feelings instead of to satisfy hunger. Weve all been there, finishing a whole bag of chips out of boredom or downing cookie after cookie while cramming for a big test. But when done a lot especially without realizing it Reasons for ruttish eating One of the biggest myths about emotional eating is that its prompted by negative feelings. Yes, people often turn to food when theyre stressed out, lonely, sad, anxious, or bored.But emotional eating can be linked to positive feelings too, same the romance of sharing dessert on Valentines Day or the celebration of a holiday feast. Sometimes emotional eating is tied to major life events, like a end or a divorce. More often, though, its the countless little daily stresses that cause someone to seek comfort or distraction in food. ablaze eating patterns can be learned A child who is given candy after a big achievement may grow up using candy as a reward for a job well done. A kid who i s given cookies as a way to obstruction crying may learn to link cookies with comfort.Comfort Food We all have our own comfort foods. Interestingly, they may vary according to moods and gender. One prove found that happy people seem to want to eat things like pizza, while sad people prefer ice cream and cookies. Bored people crave salty, crunchy things, like chips. Researchers also found that guys seem to prefer hot, homemade comfort meals, like steaks and casseroles. Girls go for chocolate and ice cream. This brings up a remaining question Does no one take comfort in carrots and celery sticks?Researchers are looking into that, too. What theyre finding is that high-fat foods, like ice cream, may motivate certain chemicals in the body that create a sense of contentment and fulfillment. This almost addictive quality may actually make you reach for these foods again when feeling upset. Were all emotional eaters to some extent (who hasnt suddenly found room for dessert after a fill ing dinner party? ). But for some people, emotional eating can be a real problem, causing serious weight gain or cycles of binging and purging.The trouble with emotional eating (aside from the health issues) is that once the pleasure of eating is gone, the feelings that cause it remain. And you often may feel worse about eating the amount or image of food you did. Thats why it helps to know the differences between physical hunger and emotional hunger. If it is emotional hunger ,it feels very sudden and urgent. It also causes specific cravings like ice-cream or pizzaYou also tend to eat more than you usually would. Sometimes, it can cause guilt afterwards.