Compulsive Overeating
How Emotions Lead To an Eating Disorder
Sometimes you can reward yourself with a favorite brownie after turning in a difficult project or celebrating a holiday. But if emotional overeating becomes permanent, weight, health, well-being, and self-esteem problems arise.
What Is Compulsive Overeating
Compulsive overeating (Emotional Overeating, EOD) is one of the most common eating disorders. It’s not just the quality of foods and excessive calories consumed that are the problem. Compulsive means “compulsive,” “beyond the control of reason.”
A person cannot eliminate it through willpower, the phenomenon is psychogenic in nature. The disorder manifests itself in overeating even in the absence of a sense of hunger. The next meal is followed by feelings of guilt and shame for failure to prevent another attack. Regular episodes often lead to weight gain and the development of related diseases. CP requires help from specialists: dieticians, psychologists, and psychiatrists.
Symptoms of Compulsive Overeating
To diagnose KP in yourself and loved ones, you need to pay attention to several symptoms. When three or more of them are present, there is a need to see a doctor. Particularly alarming are the signals if a person:
- Eats much faster than before, literally sweeps away food from the table and from the refrigerator, not having time to wait for satiety;
- Does not feel hungry, but still chews something “out of boredom”, “to occupy his hands” or “just because it’s delicious”;
- Eats “until nausea” when “no more is enough”, in large portions;
- Prefers to eat alone because of the embarrassment or shame associated with eating;
- Feels guilt or self-loathing after eating;
- Is dissatisfied with his/her appearance, body composition, size of clothes.
After you eat something tasty (in most cases fatty or sweet), blood glucose levels increase dramatically, which gives you energy. If a person lives at a fast pace, does not get enough sleep and eats poorly, this way of boosting energy becomes a habit and can be compared to caffeine and drug addiction. The hormone cortisol, produced during stress, increases appetite and contributes to the accumulation of fat in the body. That is why obesity mostly affects people in developed countries where there is no problem with food and the level of chronic stress is high.
If you are ready to take care of your feelings and mental health, use the Sensera app. It will help to overcome emotional overeating and other mental diceases.
