Excessive eating and psychology
Feeling hunger is something that happens to every living being, its a signal from our body letting us know we need to feed ourselves. A need of first rank that pushes us to direct our actions towards the achievement of a very simple objective: to find for food no matter what it takes.
But can we really fill ourselves with “tons” of food without really needing it nor being hungry? It may sound strange, but this can very well happen because our eating habits are not only based on the objective requirements of our body, but also on our beliefs about the amount of food we feel we should consume everyday, and we know our beliefs can be wrong especially when we find ourselves driven by intense emotions.
Its important to notice that our body’s capacity to ingest food can be bigger than we thought, in the world of competitive eaters for example, they “can expand their stomachs two to three times their normal size” while normal stomachs “...At its biggest, it stretches about 15%.”. | Source
In case you are not aware of the amount of food competitive eaters are able to ingest, there is an example below from one of the most famous ones called Matt Stonie:
Understanding our hunger
When it comes to normal hunger it progressively increases simply because our body needs material to keep functioning and in good condition, and typically the individual has control over what they eat, so they can make wise decisions when its time to feed themselves, and of course, once the person has eaten the lovely feeling of satisfaction makes appearance and the cycle repeats itself.
But sometimes when we are feeling low, this hunger can appear abruptly and demands immediate satisfaction by consuming only sweet food such as ice cream, chocolate or any food with sugar in the search for a pleasurable sensation in order to fill some emotional void and to improve the mood. It is very common to do this when people have too much stress or anxiety, and are feeling depressed as a result. But as we all know, this wish for sweet food is also present in happy moments like birthdays and weddings where its normal to find huge cakes.
Linking sweet food with a feeling of happiness or well being might be because of our memories recorded in the subconscious when we were children and our rewards consisted in sweets which was a way for other people to prove their affection towards us, therefore, eating these foods can reminds us of this sensation.
… sugar releases naturally occurring opiates in the brain, such as endorphins that produce feelings of fulfillment and contentment. Eating sugar also causes the release of chemical messengers like dopamine, a neurochemical that motivates us to search for food. | Source
Of course, if we end up eating too much unhealthy food for whatever reason we will have a feeling of shame and remorse, because we know it leads to health issues in the long term, but sometimes the urge to eat these kind of food cannot be stopped.
Besides, if the reason why we are eating is because we are feeling low even if sweets or desserts are consumed, the positive effect they can cause doesn’t last much and in a few hours, this hunger will reappear. This is because feeling low or depressed is not something that can be satisfied just with food, love and affection are the things needed the most in this case.
Controlling our food intake
The determinants of eating, food intake and portion size are many and varied. None of these determinants also typically act in isolation, and usually it’s not just one factor that acts on each eating occasion, but many. The majority of psychological factors however, currently act to increase intake and portion size. While cognitive control can be effective for healthy consumption and healthy portion sizes, there is definitely an argument for a greater reliance on biological factors, and a greater awareness and use of biological signals. | Source
If we don’t have any type of issues that could destabilize our decisions, then without any problems we can rationalize properly and choose what food can best nourish and satisfy us. On the other hand, if the hunger is caused by a delicate state in which we find ourselves because of personal difficulties, it would be important that we detect which feelings or emotions have triggered it and control those impulses so as not to eat junk or things with a large amount of sugar, in order to avoid surrendering ourselves to these temptations we need to have enough discipline so by only eating healthy food like fruits we can force ourselves to feel satisfied and remain like that.
A simply way to control our hunger caused by our disturbed feelings is to learn how to take control of our own thoughts, and to try to stop those feelings of hunger as soon as they appear, since they will lead us to make the least favorable decision for us, taking control of our life, and our wishes is necessary for every person, and that certainly include control of our own eating habits.
Going for a walk and taking fresh air, meditating, reading a book or any activity that is relaxing for us is useful when we need to calm down and make the hunger go away little by little without having to resort to an unhealthy snack.
Another option a little more practical is to organize a menu for the week. It does not have to be a diet, but only as a guide and try to stick as much as possible to it. It is important for the that food planning be done at a time in which we find ourselves perfectly well, so we can do this objectively and without having any sort of issue affecting our judgment,
Conclusion
Everyone has at some point eaten without really being hungry, and there is no reason to be ashamed of it, it is totally fine. Nevertheless, it is necessary that we take action so that it does not start to affect us. Eating not because of hunger but because a need to improve our mood, in addition to having a negative effect on our physical looks and therefore on our self esteem, can also lead to illnesses due to an unbalanced diet.
By making better food choices, you might be able to control compulsive eating behaviors and weight gain. You might also experience feelings of calmness, high energy levels, or alertness from the foods you eat. | Source
References
ifst.org - psychology food control
clevelandclinic – psychology of eating
Images sources
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Or, better yet, something planty like carrots or celery, since fruit still packs a punch (of sugar) if eaten excessively. Nuts are also a healthy snack option.
Exercise is also a good healthy way of causing a chemical rush in the brain that will make you feel better.
Yes, I believe it boils down to making better food choices. When that happens, you psychologically decide to make better choices. On the other hand, when you make bad choices, well, all hell breaks loose, and what the heck, let's just finish off the pint of ice cream...been there done that.
Indeed, if we want to keep eating healthy we must take a conscious choice and have enough discipline to really continue with that choice.
Good post and some great bits of advice. Controlling how I respond to my emotions is key for me. Everything seems like a trigger to eat more
Well said @dedicatedguy
Eating is one thing that is indispensable to human for the Normal physiologic function of the body but excessive eating only causes more harm than good.
I think self discipline can go a long way in solving this issue of excess eating
We mustn't eat everything that comes our way
Thanks for this lovely expository.
Yes mate you got the point.
Cheers.
you make some great points! many people have a strong emotional connection to food
Yes, they have indeed.
That's a nice article about eating! I realized a few days ago, that I often eat without being hungry. Just because you "have to" eat at a special time. Or you "have to" eat one warm meal every day and all the other "have to's".
I'm sure we should listen more to our stomach. And in the end the food is much better, when we eat just being hungry!
Yeah, we can end up getting used to eat and sometimes it can happen without us realizing it.
@dedicatedguy Please check out a post I made a while back on habits - I included healthy nutrition and diet as one of my factors :)
I don't think eating too much is a problem, especially if you are young, fit and have a relatively high metabolism. The problem comes in when you crave foods that aren't healthy and can be destructive to you in terms of causing obesity or digestive problems. However, you need to eat healthy foods and make sure to have the mindfulness to buy healthy foods, the mindfulness to choose & eat healthy foods. I cover healthy vs unhealthy foods in my post thoroughly and give lots of direct and practical examples of overhauling your diet, so please have a look through and let me know your feedback!
You have to remember at the end of the day that you have two choices to make. The first is what food you choose to buy and the second is what food you choose to consume. I struggled with similar problems of eating and craving a lot of bad processed or junk foods as well but I came out of that phase and am feeling better than ever! In fact I don't even think twice anymore about making the choices, because they are habits and mindset ingrained in me and I will eat healthy because it tastes better, more organic & it makes me feel better (physically & psychologically) in my opinion! I have changed my wiring when it comes to those sorts of dietary choices! I am really happy that you expressed yourself on Steemit about this and I am confident that you will find a solution!
Cheers!
Hello pal!
I just took a look at your profile, the linked post and your last post. In my opinion your blogging has great potential, and I decided to leave you an invitation to one of the communities in which I am part. The link is in your last post so feel free to check it.
I wonder when was the last time you ingested junk food?
Thanks for such an awesome comment btw!
Cheers!
Recently I read something like this under the definition of emotional appetite: that is, literally, eating when you do not have physical hunger, but hunger for an emotion or an experience. That is, it is what happens when you try to satisfy your emotional needs with food. For example, you are nervous because you do not have enough money, and you eat a plate of fries to distract yourself and not worry anymore. Or you have had an argument with your partner, and you console yourself with a chocolate bar. On these occasions, what you are doing is trying to satisfy your appetite for an emotion (economic security, love) by using food as a substitute.
This arises when we tend to feel guilty after having eaten for reasons that have nothing to do with physical hunger, and we think we will never control our appetite. But it is important to understand that emotional appetite is quite common. What happens is that we have forgotten how to listen to the signals from our body and we do not know how to provide the level of emotional care and attention we need, except with food.
He also mentions that in order to overcome that we must be aware that our body wants you to see that the strategies you are using to take care of yourself and handle stress in your life are limited. That is, the emotional appetite can be your ally, when you understand that is the way your body has to make you notice an imbalance. It is a great opportunity to invite you to get in touch with your emotions, and to start managing your stress level.
Exactly, this is a good example bud.
That's an interesting way to see it indeed!
Yes, I agree excessive eating is emotional eating and what you really want and need to fill that void is not food. Hard part is you gotta deal with your emotions and figure out what is triggering you to eat excessively.
I eat most times when i am not hungry but I wouldn't say i have a disorder.
Sometimes most of us just crave something we can chew not that we are hungry all the time but we love certain junks and the fact that we love to exercise our teeth.
Well, you don't necessarily need to have a disorder :)
Hmm... Well sometimes i think it is abnormal to always eat when you are not hungry. So when it happens to me i usually feel something is wrong with me.
Sometimes, the urge to eat comes when one is idle and if not managed, might be an issue. But sincerely, who doesn't like the sweet junk food?
Exactly! I know I do.