How Emotional Eating Can Sabotage Your Weight Loss Efforts

Am a binge and at times an emotional eater and was doing some research to overcome it... Below are the findings...please take note of it if any of you have this problem.

Objective :

The purpose of this research is to show that when people want to suppress negative emotions, they consciously or unconsciously turn to food for comfort. As a result of this emotional eating, it disrupts and sabotages any weight loss efforts.

Emotional eating - demographics:

Emotional eaters come in all shapes and sizes, ages, races, both males and females.

Definition :

Emotional eating is eating as a way to suppress or soothe negative emotions. It provides comfort and is an escape from anger, tensions, stress, painful emotions, boredom, loneliness, guilt, shame or frustration and can upset any weight-loss efforts.

Other names/ phrases for emotional eating :

Compulsive Eating/ Overeating / Dysfunctional Eating/ Binge Eating Disorder

Weight loss :

No diet with reasonable physical activity can resolve and improve medical problems even when there is no weight loss. People with emotional eating disorders should resolve this issue first so as to incorporate dietary interference.
Weight cycling aggravates medical problems. In certain cases, weight gain is more of a medical symptom rather than due to excessive eating.

Conclusion :

An emotional eater should note that there is no particular diet, weight or body size that will automatically lead to happiness and fulfillment.

Weight loss cannot be achieved by dieting alone as there are dangers associated with dieting. Dieting because of increased appetite from medications can also lead to emotional eating. Self‐imposed dieting will inadvertently result in emotional eating binges once food becomes available.

Emotional eating manifests in other psychological forms such as intense feelings of depression, discontent and indifference.

An emotional eater, in most cases cannot make a perfect recovery and a medical doctor, therapists, dieticians, and psychiatrists must monitor him or her.

References :

•    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/weight-loss/MH00025

•    http://www.uwgb.edu/counselinghealth/wellness/hu/EmotionalEating.pdf
•    http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/emotional-eating-feeding-your-feelings
•    http://www.webmd.com/diet/emotional-eating
•    http://www.bedaonline.com/
•    http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/information-resources/resources-and-links.php