Emotional Eating
Recent research carried out by the Oral Health Foundation discovered that since lockdown in March nearly 2 out of 3 under 35s admit to eating more often between meals³. In addition to this, a survey carried out by Alcohol Change U.K. uncovered that 8.6 million adults were drinking more frequently during lockdown⁴.
As we head into the second national lockdown, we will be finding new ways to cope with the challenges that will face us. Some of us may turn to food to deal with our emotions which is a normal response. Experiencing uncomfortable feelings such as stress, anxiety, anger, boredom and frustration and not having healthy coping strategies in place can often lead to people using food as a coping mechanism.
Heightened levels of stress and in turn emotional eating is an understandable response during a global pandemic everyone at some stage can relate to emotional eating. We shouldn’t try and put any additional pressure on ourselves. However, we have got some advice to help support you during these difficult times.
Emotional Eating
Evidence suggests that people experiencing low moods prefer to consume “comfort foods” to help alleviate their negative feelings⁵. In the short term, this can be beneficial to relieve negative emotions however over consumption of these “comfort foods” that tend to be calorie rich can take a turn and lead to negative consequences such as weight gain⁶.
Hala El-Shafie, Psychology of Eating Expert and Registered Dietitian says “Most people can relate to eating emotionally at some point – eating for comfort rather than physical hunger. But when this process becomes out of control it can lead to a cycle of eating behaviours that feel completely out of control.”
Emotional Eating - How you can overcome it
Emotional eating during a global pandemic is totally normal and it is ok for your eating patterns to change. We should try to not put too much pressure on ourselves.
Here Registered Dietitian and Eating Disorders specialist Hala El-Shafie has laid out some helpful advice and guidance to support you.
1. Quit dieting - the cycle of restricting and deprivation can lead to overeating and in many cases trigger binge eating behaviours
2. If you are hungry you need to , EAT! -Regular meals - keeping blood sugars stable can really help alleviate the compulsion to act out and eat on your emotions. Focus on the experience of eating, and enjoy your food.
3. If you are unsure about your hunger levels, a hunger scale where you can rate your hunger could be really useful .
How it works : you rate your hunger on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being starving and 10 being so full, you feel sick. If you feel like eating but your hunger level is a 6 or higher on the scale, take some time to stop and check your emotions.
4. Know yourself - understanding your emotional cycle and triggers can be a key aspect to understanding your relationship with food - Try using a food and mood journal, this can help to identify any emotional triggers around the way you are eating and what you are eating.
A journal can be beneficial as it can help you to identify any areas which need to be addressed such as seeking therapy or put some tools in place to work on your stress levels.
5. Take a short relaxation break. Take a short walk, listen to some music or do something else you usually enjoy. Try some breathing exercises and practice mindfulness and meditation. These practices can really help to soothe your emotions and alleviate your triggers for emotional eating
6. Talk to a friend or family member - talking through your thoughts and emotions can really help to alleviate anxiety. But if you find you’re still struggling it’s time to seek professional help.
BEAT, UK an eating disorder charity which provides support to everyone across the country, has support services available and have created a new online group called “The Sanctuary” for a safe space to talk⁷.
Our take home message is that emotional eating is normal and everyone experiences it at some point of their life. However, if you feel it is getting out of control, reach out to your friends and family for support or to your GP for further guidance.
Resources
Websites
@themindmedic
@themindfuldietitian
@tcnutrition
@beatedsupport
Author: Lucy McLean
References
https://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/blog/use-of-food-as-coping-mechanism-for-anxiety-and-stress
https://www.dentalhealth.org/News/lockdown-leading-to-increased-snacking-culture-claims-charity
https://alcoholchange.org.uk/blog/2020/covid19-drinking-during-lockdown-headline-findings
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195666307003236
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4150387/pdf/fpsyg-05-00925.pdf