How to curb emotional eating

Woman emotionally eating when she's not hungry

Feeding Your Feelings?

Emotional eating is simply a result of the discomfort of unwanted feelings. We tend to want to avoid painful feelings; we could say we swallow them as we overindulge in food—a way to stuff our emotions down to a place where they can be ignored for a while. Eating becomes a way to disassociate from thoughts and feelings that make us uncomfortable. It is a temporary distraction from the products of our restless minds. But notice the word “temporary.” When the cake is gone, the feeling, the issue, the conflict, or the problem is still very much present—along with the additional pounds. Read more