Think back to a time when you felt overwhelmed by stress or anxiety. What did you do?
Some people often use food to soothe these emotions, which can be regarded as one of the emotion regulation strategies [1]. Maybe after a long, stressful day, you turned to chocolate cakes or chips without really thinking about it, only to realize later that you ate more than you intended. This happens because stress and anxiety trigger the body’s stress response, raising cortisol levels and increasing cravings for sugary, fatty, or high-calorie foods [2]. When you eat these foods, your brain releases dopamine, temporarily making you feel better [3].
After overeating, you might feel guilty and ashamed. These emotions can be overwhelming and may lead you to feel numb or want to escape the discomfort further through eating. This cycle—seeking comfort in food, then feeling bad about it, and then eating again to cope with the negative emotions—can become a cycle that is difficult to break. Over time, this pattern of emotional eating is linked to various health risks, including disordered eating behaviours, overweight, and obesity [4-5].
If you are worried about emotional eating, Mindfulness practice may be a promising approach [6]. Mindfulness is the practice of being fully present with your experiences in the moment, without judging them as good or bad, and without reacting impulsively [7]. Forms of mindfulness meditation may train the mind to notice—and “catch”—subtle impulses that are often overlooked, such as those automatic and unhealthy habitual eating patterns [8].
This may still sound a bit abstract, so let’s look at an example of those who tend to eat when they’re emotional:
Imagine coming home exhausted after a stressful day, heading to the kitchen, and mindlessly eating chips and cake for comfort. Now, let’s replay this scenario with mindfulness. Instead of grabbing food, you first notice, then observe the feelings and thoughts you are experiencing, then pause, and ask yourself: Am I hungry or just stressed? By becoming aware that your cravings are triggered by stress, you can make different choices. Instead of immediately eating, take a moment to sit with that stressed feeling without reacting to it. This pause gives you space to reflect on your choices. Even if you still decide to give in to the craving, you may find yourself feeling more in control, making it easier to stop eating or prevent overeating.
Perhaps you think this sounds difficult, because when you are under stress, this craving is too strong. But remember, mindfulness requires practice. The more you practice, the better you will become at controlling cravings triggered by negative emotions and coping with those emotions. Are you new to mindfulness? Then start with a simple step: a 3-minute breathing exercise. Just focus on your breath and allow yourself to just be in the moment. From there, see where it takes you.
Are you curious to know more?
Recently, researchers from Radboud University have been preparing a new project to explore whether an 8-week mindfulness-based course can target stress-related eating. They will update the project information on https://www.ru.nl/en/people/tan-y. Stay tuned for more details!
This blog was written by Calorta Tan (Radboud University) for RAD-blog, the blog about smoking, alcohol, drugs and diet.
References
1. Guerrini-Usubini, A., Cattivelli, R., Scarpa, A., Musetti, A., Varallo, G., Franceschini, C., & Castelnuovo, G. (2023). The interplay between emotion dysregulation, psychological distress, emotional eating, and weight status: A path model. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 23(1), 100338.
2. Torres, S. J., & Nowson, C. A. (2007). Relationship between stress, eating behavior, and obesity. Nutrition, 23(11–12), 887–894.
3. Adam, T. C., & Epel, E. S. (2007). Stress, eating and the reward system. Physiology & Behavior, 91(4), 449–458.
4. Frayn, M., & Knäuper, B. (2018). Emotional eating and weight in adults: A review. Current Psychology, 37, 924–933.
5. Leehr, E. J., Krohmer, K., Schag, K., Dresler, T., Zipfel, S., & Giel, K. E. (2015). Emotion regulation model in binge eating disorder and obesity-a systematic review. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 49, 125–134.
6. Katterman, S. N., Kleinman, B. M., Hood, M. M., Nackers, L. M., & Corsica, J. A. (2014). Mindfulness meditation as an intervention for binge eating, emotional eating, and weight loss: A systematic review. Eating Behaviors, 15(2), 197–204.
7. Germer, C. (2004). What is mindfulness. Insight Journal, 22(3), 24–29.
8. Papies, E. K., Barsalou, L. W., & Custers, R. (2012). Mindful attention prevents mindless impulses. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 3(3), 291–299.
Leave a Reply