Eating disorders - In clinical terms, the American Psychiatric Association's http://glossary.feast-ed.org/home current diagnostic manual, identifies three categories of eating disorders:
Bulimia Nervosa and
EMOTIONAL EATING
Definition
Emotional eating is defined as the "propensity to eat in response to positive and negative emotions” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emotional_eating,
as a means of suppressing, numbing and/or soothing emotions
such as Stress, Anger, Frustration, Fear, Anxiety, Depression, Boredom,
Loneliness, Insecurity, Resentment, Fatigue or Happiness.
Common signs of emotional eating are:
- Changing your eating habits when you have more stress in your life.
- Eating when you are not hungry or when you are full.
- Eating to avoid dealing with a stressful situation.
- Eating to soothe your feelings.
- Using food as a reward. (For example, "That was really a tough job/ assignment/ argument. I need some ice cream/candy/popcorn!")
Long-term effects of an emotional eating include:
- All of the many health risks associated with obesity, such as heart disease, hypertension and stroke
- Rickets, scurvy and other diseases caused by chronic vitamin deficiency
- Tooth decay
- Depression, either caused or exacerbated by the underlying eating disorder
"Comfort" Foods
We all have our own comfort foods. Interestingly, they may vary according to moods and gender. One
study found that:
- happy people seem to want to eat things like pizza,
- sad people prefer ice cream and cookies, while
- bored people crave salty, crunchy things, like chips,
- guys seem to prefer hot, homemade comfort meals, like steaks and casseroles, while
- girls go for chocolate and ice cream.
Why does no one take comfort in carrots and celery sticks?
High-fat foods, like ice cream, may activate 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. https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/emotional-eating.html
Physical Hunger vs. Emotional Hunger
The trouble with emotional eating 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 type of food you did.
The differences between physical hunger and emotional hunger.
Physical hunger:
- comes on gradually and can be postponed
- can be satisfied with any number of foods
- means you're likely to stop eating when full
- doesn't cause feelings of guilt
Emotional hunger:
- feels sudden and urgent
- causes very specific cravings (e.g., for pizza or ice cream)
- you tend to eat more than you normally would
- can cause guilt afterward
Treatment
First step
Break the Cycle and get emotional eating under control.
Tips to Try https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/emotional-eating.html
1. Explore why you're eating and find a replacement activity. For example:
- If you're bored or lonely, call or text a friend or family member.
- If you're stressed out, try a yoga routine, listen to some feel-good tunes and let off some stress by jogging in place, doing jumping jacks, or dancing around your room until the urge to eat passes.
- If you're tired, rethink your bedtime routine. Tiredness can feel a lot like hunger, and food won't help if sleepless nights are causing daytime fatigue.
- If you're eating to procrastinate, open those books and get that homework over with. You'll feel better afterwards.
2. Write down the emotions that trigger your eating in journal.
- Write down what you ate, how much, and how you felt as you ate (e.g., bored, happy, worried, sad, mad) and whether you were really hungry or just eating for comfort.
- You'll be able to use this information to make better choices (like choosing to clear your head with a walk around the block instead of a bag of chips).
3. Pause and "take 5" before you reach for food. Just tell yourself to wait and take time to
reflect.
- Can you put off eating for five minutes? Or just start with one minute. Don’t tell yourself you can’t give in to the craving; remember, the forbidden is extremely tempting.
Second step
Eat balance and healthy food. Stop snacking between meals.
Practice mindful eating, at the table, without distractions (TV, phone…)
Third step
Exercise regularly. Physical activity does wonders for your mood and energy levels, and it’s also a powerful stress reducer.
Support
yourself with healthy lifestyle habits!
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