Are You an Emotional Eater?

Medically reviewed by

Dr. Rosmy Barrios, MD

Dr. Rosmy Barrios, MD is an aesthetic medicine specialist whose work focuses on patients who are treated for obesity, metabolic syndrome, and other weight-related issues through nutritional analysis, keto diet programs, and supporting medications.

Updated May 16, 2018 by

Josh Burnett

Josh is the chief news editor and writer for So Nourished and Tasteaholics. Based in the Eugene, Oregon area, he has a diverse and varied background as an Air Force officer, structural firefighter, professor, construction worker, retail manager, investigator, and writer. When he isn't writing, he's normally reading or enjoying the outdoors.

Health & Fitness, News

Photo by Tom Sharrow/Shutterstock.com

Everyone loves to eat. For us humans, eating isn't just something that we do to stay alive; cooking and eating good food is a hobby, an achievement, and often, a celebration. However, as obesity rates rise across the United States, many dieters are finding themselves struggling to make smarter choices when it comes to what to chew. One of the reasons for this is the rise in prevalence of “emotional eaters.” An emotional eater is someone who has an unhealthy relationship with food; they often eat not to nurture their body, but instead to relieve themselves of a negative emotion. Emotional eaters often find themselves unable to lose weight because they have a compulsion to binge on their snack of choice whenever life deals them a bad hand.

Are you an emotional eater? Many people do not even realize that they have a problem with food psychology. The following are three of the most common symptoms that may signify that you are an emotional eater.

You crave sweets when you're upset

Have you noticed that you have more trouble resisting the temptation of chocolate when you fail a test or your coworker gets snippy with you? Studies have shown that sweet treats have an instant mood-boosting effect, which causes emotional eaters to crave them when they feel sad or upset.¹

The next time you are feeling a strong craving for something sweet, think about the context of your emotions. Will you be happy having a single square of chocolate because you want to taste it? Or do you want to eat the entire bar because you're feeling blue? If the underlying reason for your craving isn't the taste of the food, try doing a quick 10 minutes of exercise, which has been shown to release the same feel-good chemicals as a sugary pick me up.²

You binge on foods that have emotional significance

When you visit your grandma's house, do you find yourself eating more plates of home-style mac and cheese than you would at home? Do you find the glow of McDonald's golden arches simply irresistible? Many emotional eaters experience a sort of “food FOMO” (fear of missing out, for the non-millenial readers) in which they overeat foods that connect them with a happier time in their lives in an effort to bring themselves back to a simpler world.

If this describes your situation, try to indulge in non-food related comforts when you're feeling nostalgic. Calling up a childhood friend for coffee or flipping through a family photo album can give you the same warm fuzzies as eating mom's famous meatloaf– with none of the calories.

You eat when you're bored

Emotional eating doesn't always happen when you're sad or longing for the past! Some people simply search for excitement in their food, and they have a tendency to mindlessly eat to give their body something to do.

Have you noticed that you often munch on unhealthy snacks during your days off? The next time you think that you might be eating to deal with boredom, treat yourself to a healthy snack like an apple or celery with peanut butter. If a healthy alternative doesn't seem appealing, chances are that you're not hungry– you're bored. Picking up an old pastime or hobby can help you curb your cravings.

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Dr. Rosmy Barrios, MD

This article has been medically reviewed by Dr. Rosmy Barrios, MD.