Emotional Eating and Healthy Eating

We usually eat more whenever we celebrate on occasions such as birthdays and the holidays. We tend to eat more during these events. In line with this, a new study found out that people who have the tendency to eat in response to external factors, such as holidays and celebrations, have lesser problems in dealing with their weight loss than those people who eat in response to their emotions (considering internal factors). The study also found out that emotional eating was associated with weight regain for people who lost weight.

More people report eating in response of thoughts and feelings such as loneliness. Research also showed that many of those who have successfully lost their weight (and who reported emotional eating) were more likely to regain weight. This is quite important since one of the greatest challenges in managing overweight and obesity treatment remains the problem of weight regain following weight loss. Participants in behavioural weight loss programs, usually lose an average of about 10% of their body weight, which carries significant health benefits. Unfortunately, the majority of participants return to their baseline weight within three to five years.

Because most of us have been brought up eating junk food, it is not easy to change our eating habits. Eating habits are developed since childhood, based on what your mothers or fathers cooked and what your psychological make-up was during that time. The foods you eat and crave help keep past trauma and present anxiety in check. Food helps make you feel good when you start to feel bad. Eating is a natural defense mechanism that the brain-body uses to keep you from going crazy.

So, you see, it is very difficult to change our eating habits. When we do, we start to feel bad. We start to feel uncomfortable, we feel pain, we have withdrawal symptoms, and we may feel sick. Is it any wonder that any of us ever succeed in changing our eating habits to more healthy eating habits? I consider everything that has been packaged to be junk food. There are a few exception and you need to read ingredient labels carefully. Very few food manufacturers and even restaurants prepare food with your health in mind. Of course, they want to satisfy you, but they don’t use foods that are in your best interest.

Most people eat junk food 85% of the time and then eat good food the other 15%. It should be the reverse of this – eat good food 85% and junk food 15% of the time.