Understanding Emotional Eating: Facts and Feelings Driving Unhealthy Food Habits

Introduction Emotional eating is a common struggle for many individuals dealing with weight issues or obesity. It involves using food to cope with emotional triggers rather than responding to physiological hunger cues. While emotions play a significant role in this behaviour, it's essential to recognize that there are also physiological factors at play. This article aims to shed light on the underlying causes of emotional eating and provide guidance to clinicians seeking to help patients overcome this challenge.

Physiological Factors: Homeostatic and Hedonic Pathways The regulation of hunger involves two main pathways: the homeostatic pathway and the hedonic pathway. The homeostatic pathway is driven by biological hunger and the body's need for energy in terms of calories. On the other hand, hedonic eating is pleasure-driven, utilizing emotional stimuli to override the physical hunger and satisfaction signals. Emotional eating falls under the hedonic pathway. As clinicians, it is crucial to empathetically listen to patients and assess any potential physiological causes contributing to their emotional eating habits.

Disruptions in Appetite Regulation Various factors can disrupt the physiological regulation of appetite, including sleep disturbances, high-stress levels, and medical conditions like obesity, diabetes, and polycystic ovarian syndrome. Insulin resistance and inflammation are common links in these conditions, leading to changes in appetite and reduced satisfaction after eating. Mental health conditions can also impact neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine, contributing to appetite changes.

Hedonic Eating and Its Complex Relationship One way to study hedonic eating is by using the Power of Food Scale. Functional MRI studies have shown that individuals with higher scores on this scale exhibit increased brain activity in the visual cortex when exposed to highly palatable foods. Although further research is needed to understand the clinical implications fully, this finding suggests that emotional eating has both emotional and physiological aspects.

Feelings: Patterns, Personality, Places, and Psychological Factors While physiology explains part of emotional eating, individuals with this behaviour often have strong emotional connections to food and specific behavioural patterns. Psychological cues are often coupled with physiological triggers. For example, many women experience stress-eating during their menstrual cycle due to changes in iron, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorous levels. Chocolate, which is rich in these minerals, can provide physical and emotional comfort during this time. Encouraging patients to choose lower-sugar options like dark chocolate or cacao nibs while addressing their emotions can be helpful.

Apart from physiological conditions and patterns, emotional eating can also be triggered by places, people, and psychological factors. Celebrations, vacations, exposure to food marketing, and major life shifts can lead to increased hedonic eating. It is important to help patients recognize these connections and prepare for such situations. Screening for mental health conditions and past traumas is essential, as emotional eating can be a symptom of disorders like binge eating disorder, major depression, or generalized anxiety disorder. Addressing guilt, shame, and negative self-talk associated with emotional eating through reassurance and self-compassion is vital.

Addressing Emotional Eating: Facts and Feelings

1. Treat biological causes: Identify and address physiological factors that impact hunger regulation and trigger emotional eating.

2. Triggers: Help patients identify patterns, places, people, and psychological events that trigger their emotional eating episodes.

3. Transition to non-food rewards: Encourage patients to find alternative ways to address their emotions rather than relying solely on food. While healthier substitutes can improve eating behaviours in the short term, finding non-food rewards is invaluable in the long run.

4. Stress management: Provide patients with strategies for reducing stress levels through mindfulness and other techniques.

5. Professional support: As emotional eating is complex, assembling a multidisciplinary team can be beneficial. In addition to primary care physicians, psychologists, psychiatrists, emotional freedom technique (EFT) coaches, and certified wellness coaches can contribute to comprehensive care.

Conclusion Emotional eating is a significant issue associated with weight gain, yet it is often overlooked or minimized. Despite the absence of specific diagnostic criteria, its impact cannot be ignored, especially in light of the obesity epidemic. While medications addressing physiological hunger pathways exist, they cannot substitute for addressing the psychosocial components of emotional eating. Clinicians have the power to make a meaningful impact on patients' lives by going beyond prescription writing and helping them develop healthier relationships with food and emotions.

Dr. Tugan Tezcaner

General&Laparoscopic Surgeon

Valiant Hospital, City Walk, Dubai