Emotional eating, also called comfort eating, is when someone eats because of their emotions rather than because they are physically hungry. These emotions can be unpleasant—like anger, sadness, boredom, or stress—or even pleasant, such as excitement or happiness. It’s often a way to manage or avoid overwhelming feelings, even if only for a short time.
People who engage in emotional eating may do so without realizing it in the moment. Often, they become aware of it only after they’ve finished eating.
Emotional overeating doesn’t have just one cause. It’s usually the result of a mix of factors, including genetics, mental health, life experiences, social environment, and how the body works.
It can be hard to recognize emotional eating in yourself or others, especially because the behavior is often hidden or done in private.
Emotional eating means turning to food for comfort—to ease emotional pain or stress—rather than because you’re physically hungry. You might grab ice cream when you’re feeling sad, order pizza out of boredom or loneliness, or crave something comforting after a tough day.
Using food now and then to lift your mood, celebrate, or reward yourself isn’t necessarily a problem. But when food becomes your major way of coping with emotions—when reaching for a snack is your go-to reaction to stress, anger, sadness, tiredness, or boredom—it can lead to an unhealthy cycle. The real emotions or problems remain unaddressed, and the relief from food is only temporary.
Emotional hunger is different from physical hunger. Emotional hunger doesn’t go away when your stomach is full—you may keep eating even when you’re uncomfortably full. Physical hunger, on the other hand, builds gradually and stops when you’ve eaten enough.
The signs of emotional hunger:
- Develops suddenly
- Not connected to a time of meal
- Triggered by an emotionally charged event
- Stays with you even though you are not hungry
- Eating leads to feelings of guilt and shame
The signs of physical hunger:
- Builds gradually
- Below the neck (e.g. growling stomach)
- Happens 3-4 hours after eating a meal
- Eating leads to feeling satisfied
- Goes away when satisfied
Things that may increase the risk of emotional overeating:
- Low self-esteem or feeling unworthy
- Mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety
- Going through stressful or traumatic events
- Being unhappy with your body or appearance
- Feeling lonely, bored, angry, or overwhelmed
- Differences in brain function or hormone levels compared to others
- Following very strict or low-calorie diets
References:
What is Emotional Eating? – Healthy Weight Grampian. (n.d.). https://www.healthyweightgrampian.scot.nhs.uk/psychological-support/our-relationship-with-food/what-is-emotional-eating/
British Dietetic Association (BDA) (Ed.). (2021). Helping you with EMOTIONAL EATING. https://cms.bps.org.uk/sites/default/files/2022-07/Helping%20you%20with%20emotional%20eating.pdf