Emotional Eating

If you’ve ever heard someone say “emotional eating isn’t good” or “you shouldn’t emotionally eat” - I want to encourage you to read through this article (and maybe forward it to whoever said that). We are all human beings. We carry emotions in so many different ways. Haven’t you ever come home after a long day, felt drained, and just wanted to sit in bed with French fries and watch Netflix? Or felt happy and wanted to celebrate with ice cream? Many of us probably emotionally eat without realizing it. The thing to consider is - do we have other coping skills as well?

Emotional Eating as a Coping Tool

As I mentioned before, emotional eating is very common and normal. When it starts to negatively affect you is when you need to reevaluate. If you are solely relying on food to cope with emotions it might start to take a toll on you. Sure you might reach for cookies or a frozen pizza after a hard day, but are you consciously making this decision? If you are consciously making the decision to emotionally eat then you are in control. If you come home at the end of the day, reach for foods, and don’t even remember eating them - that is when it might be time to turn to other coping skills. This unconscious consumption can lead to shame and guilt (although, you should feel neither), and can intrude in other parts of your life. If you feel like you have to lock ourself in your bedroom and binge then you are locking others out of your life and you are not addressing what is really going on. So, while emotional eating is more than okay, we need other tools in our tool box as well..

How Emotional Eating Can Be Helpful

I remember when I moved across the United States from Kentucky to California and I was SO. HOMESICK. Truly, every Sunday I felt tearful because Sundays were usually spent with my family. I would make one of my grandmas recipes, sometimes her chocolate chip cookies, sometimes her meatloaf (ya never know what I’m gonna whip up), and it truly helped make me feel better. This was a form of emotional eating that helped me cope with my feelings of homesickness. I also mentioned earlier how at the end of a long day I’ve grabbed my favorite comfort food and curled up with a good Netflix show, again something that just feels right. These are conscious decisions though, and they are not the only things I turn to when I am feeling homesick or drained. I talk to others to tell them how I am feeling, go to therapy, meditate, go for walks, take a bath, read a book - all the things, find what works for you.

When Emotional Eating Can Be Harmful

Emotional eating can be harmful if it is intruding into other aspects of your life or causing you physical/mental distress. Emotionally eating can cause feelings of shame (although as I mentioned earlier - it should not!) and can lead to a disordered relationship with food, such as a restrict/binge cycle. If you recognize that food is starting to cause you anxiety I recommend reaching out to someone for support whether it is a friend or family member, or an ED informed therapist or RD.

So, is it Okay to Emotionally Eat or Not??

Yes, we are all humans, so we are going to emotionally eat! Food is tied into so many different things - happy events or sad gatherings, food is usually present. It’s human nature to turn to food when feeling emotions. The important questions to ask yourself are:
”Do I have other tools in my toolbox to deal with emotions?”
”Is turning to food to cope with my emotions interfering with my life?”
”Is turning to food to cope with my emotions causing physical or emotional harm?”

“Do I have anxiety around food due to my reliance on it when coping with emotions?”

Honestly answering these questions can help you form a healthier relationship with food moving forward.