How to Stop Emotional Overeating?

Annie Sawyer, Ph. D.

 

Overeating, but not obesity, is the actual cause behind the metabolic syndrome, suggests an in vivo study with mice at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas This study is among the first to propose that weight gain is an early symptom, not a direct cause, of metabolic syndrome. In researchers’ proper words: "Most people today think that obesity itself causes metabolic syndrome" (Unger et al, 2008). "We're ingrained to think obesity is the cause of all health problems, when, in fact, it is the spillover of fat into organs other than fat cells that damages these organs, such as the heart and the liver. Depositing fatty molecules in fat cells where they belong actually delays that harmful spillover."

As underlined in the August issue of Mayo Clinic Women’s Health-Source page, “for emotional eaters, food is the best friend that may boost sprits, calm stress and alleviate boredom.” Emotional eating means overeating or just eating too much, without selection of the type of food- healthy or unhealthy food- low fat or high fat- salted or unsalted, high calorie or low calorie, overly sweet or sugar free.

Women are the most sensitive part of our society, what makes them quite vulnerable to bingeing, emotional eating or overeating. I can add from my practical experience, that even if you are not an emotional eater (in your youngest age) – you can become one with advanced aging. Just add few highly stressful and emotional moments, or a strong fear combined with emotional distress of a divorce or loss of a loved one and you are walking to the road of bingeing, overeating, obesity and metabolic syndrome. Metabolic refers to metabolism, or how the body uses its energy.

Anyone already knows the common rule that when a person's consumes more calories than energy that is used, the body stores the extra calories in fat cells (lipocytes). Fat cells function as energy reservoirs and they have ‘malignant’ memory. They enlarge or contract depending on how one uses energy. If we do not balance energy input and output by eating right and exercising, fat can builds up what can lead to weight gain while on the contrary, if energy input is equal to energy output, there is no expansion of fat cells.

Genetics also determines the number of fat cells a person has and some people are simply born with more. HOB1 (human obesity 1) is a gene that is linked to a high BMI in women. When fat stores increase, the fat cells also enlarge and produce a number of cytokines- proinflammatory chemicals that increase risk for multiple diseases as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, hypertonia, gout, kidney failure, cardiovascular problems, stroke, Alzheimer’s, gallbladder disease, and six different cancers.  

You must know that the mechanism behind the emotional overeating is in the overstimulation of the same Hypothalamus/Pituitary gland (HPA) axis in the brain that controls the daily rhythm of hunger, sexual pleasure and controls the appearance of thirst. The hypothalamus is part of the limbic system, which is considered a center of a person's psycho-emotional life. While the status of your body is monitored by the Somatosensor cortex - the reactions of your body give meaning to the signals from outside all the time. For example fear, as a stress-potentiator, stimulates the secretion of stress hormones (cortisol, adrenalin and noradrenalin) from the adrenals and immediately reflects on our Amygdala- sending a stimulus signal to the Visual System and to the Neo-cortex. The human body senses its daily stress with its Autonomous nerve system- the part that I call the ‘Accelerator’- the Sympaticus and the ‘Deactivator’ – the Parasympaticus. We all respond with ‘fight of flight’ reaction in times of an excessive stress. The title ‘King’ behind all of the above chemical-neurological reactions must be given to the X cranial nerve - VAGUS.

As Amanda Gardner states: ”When it comes to weight control, it might not be the kind of snack that matters, but who eats it.” Researchers offered similarly "sinful" snacks to obese and non-obese women, and while the healthy-weight women wanted less of the treat over time, the obese women kept wishing for more. As it is shown in the August issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: "Obese and non-obese women respond to high-energy, high-density snacks in different ways" (Temple et al 2009).

With other words, the daily mood (good or bad) is the main conductor of our emotions and behaviors across lifetime and the ability to handle stress is a guarantee for longevity and survival. At the same time, you will see that some people are constantly overeating in time of stress, while others suppress their appetite temporarily. What a lucky group, is not it?  I must also note that even when genetic factors are present, you can still control your eating habits and to learn the laws of mindful eating.

There are few helpful ideas on how to cope with emotional hunger:

-- Separate your food from your feelings. Learn to differentiate true hunger from an emotional hunger.

-- Differentiate true hunger from a true thirst. Drink a cup of water when feeling hungry or a cup of tea instead to grab a candy bar or muffin.

-- Seek to eat in a serene ambient and manner and look for a well balanced diet.

-- Share your past traumas and be aware of your vulnerability. Learn to love yourself despite of the minuses or mistakes you have made.

-- Manage your live over stress with mindful life strategies- eating, relaxing, and working.

-- Listen music, read a good book, turn off your TV.

-- Take a walk and exercise.

-- Use relaxing techniques- meditation, Yoga, Tai-chi Tai-bo. Listen music.

-- Keep a diary and learn about emotions and comforting foods.

-- Socialize with positive people. Avoid people who are taking advantage and overwhelm you with their problems.

-- Eliminate comfort foods from your fridge.  Do not overindulge.

-- Do not judge or accuse yourself when overeating. Remember it is a ‘step by step’ program that will take some time to be practiced.