Eating whenever you want and not because of hunger is a sign of stress

DEPRESSION | ANXIETY | 

Ruth Masinde started working from home on April 6 and by August 21, she realized she had gained 8kg. "I had gone to a clinic because I was feeling chest pain.

During triage, I was weighed and my weight was 78.2kg. This was disturbing because for almost 10 years, my weight had been stable at 69-70kg," says Masinde.

During her discussion with the doctor, she noted that she was eating much more than usual. Every time she would feel bored or tired or when work was slow, she would just go to the fridge and pick a slice of bread or make herself a cup of tea or eat leftover food from breakfast or lunch. Even when she would go to the washroom, she would return to her desk with something to eat or drink.

Masinde was eating just because she felt like it, not necessarily because she was hungry and the doctor told her that this could be linked to stress. This is what Jamiru Mpiima, a nutritionist describes as emotional or comfort eating.

Emotional eating

Emotional eating is when a person's hunger or desire to eat is triggered by negative emotions like stress, anger, boredom, fear, loneliness, sadness, feeling guilty, or anxiety, which explains Lilian Nakayiki Nyanzi, a nutrition research associate based in Bukoto - Kampala.

Nyanzi adds that dealing with major life events, like the loss of a job or a loved one, can trigger negative emotions which may result into emotional eating.

"Although some people eat less in the face of strong emotions, if you are in emotional distress, you might turn to impulsive or binge eating, quickly consuming whatever is convenient, without enjoyment," she notes.

Nyanzi also observes that many people who have binge-eating disorder feel negative about themselves and their skills and accomplishments. She says that in addition to negative emotions, triggers for bingeing can also include having a poor body self-image and the availability of preferred binge foods.

With emotional eating, the person finds comfort in eating. It involves people eating when they do not really feel hungry and they eat regularly. In addition, such people usually crave high-energy foods such as sweet things like cakes, adds Mpiima.

On the other hand, Nyanzi explains that emotional eating could present as ‘binge eating', a serious eating disorder in which one frequently consumes large amounts of food and feels unable to stop eating. Therefore, it could be described as excessive overeating that feels out of control and becomes a regular occurrence.

Nyanzi notes that behavioural and emotional signs and symptoms of binge-eating disorder include:

 - Eating unusually large amounts of food in a specific amount of time, such as over a two-

hour period

- Feeling that your eating behaviour is out of control

- Eating even when you are full or not hungry

- Eating rapidly during binge episodes

- Eating until you are uncomfortably full

-  Frequently eating alone or in secret

- Feeling depressed, disgusted, ashamed, guilty, or upset about your eating

- Frequently dieting, possibly without weight loss

Complications

Mpiima explains that such people usually feel guilty when they overeat, which then makes them more stressed and then they are prompted to eat more to comfort themselves. In addition, since such people eat when they are not hungry and they eat a lot, they end up gaining excessive weight, which then affects their health and general wellbeing.

Nyanzi notes that emotional eating disrupts one's weight loss efforts, leading to obesity and medical conditions related to obesity, such as joint problems, heart disease and Type II diabetes.

In addition, one may develop psychological and physical problems related to binge eating, which include:

- Poor quality of life

- Esteem problems that can affect one's functioning at work, handling one's personal life or in social situations

- Social isolation

Managing emotional eating

Mpiima notes that the most effective way is to manage the root cause, for example, one should find ways of dealing with the stress or anxiety that they are experiencing.

On the other hand, Nyanzi notes that most people who have emotional eating disorders are not aware that they need help. "The condition happens progressively and it is hard for one to pose and think of it as a problem. However, because it results into either excessive weight gain and obesity or excessive weight loss, those affected may realize that they are dealing with an eating disorder once they seek medical help from health care professionals. These could be a nutritionist, dietician or a medical doctor," explains.

She advises those affected to seek dietetic and nutrition counseling services from nutritionists/ dieticians so as to help them address the eating disorder and understand the reasons as to why they binge eat of fail to eat. "The nutritionist/dietician can assess the drivers of their dietary eating habits and propose solutions on how to address the eating disorder. It is advised to use a holistic approach, one that is tailored to the needs of the person suffering from the eating disorder.

So, there are no generalized solutions to this. The health care professional should identify the cause of the eating disorder, and together with the patient, identify possible solutions on how to address the challenge and set healthy goals to be achieved," explains Nyanzi.

Since it takes time for one to deal with the root causes, Mpiima advises those prone to emotional eating to limit the consumption of unhealthy foods. "For example, instead of cakes, one should opt for fruits, which are healthier."

One should talk to people and find help to deal with their issues.

One should keep busy with activities such as exercising and taking a walk which will distract them from feeling the need to eat all the time. Those who work from home and feel bored or lonely should endeavor to find fun activities to engage in when they are done with work which will make them feel good and take away the need for them to eating all the time.

However, Mpiima advises that if all the behavioral interventions do not seem to help and one has failed to manage the stress, then they should see psychiatric help. They should seek the services of a psychiatrist or psychologist to help them with the underlying issues.

Did you know?

Emotional eating is prevalent in situations where an individual is stressed about not achieving the set life goals and achievements or boredom. These make one unconsciously resort to eating

more food to suppress such feelings and negative emotions, explains Nyanzi. She adds that during this season of COVID-19, people may binge eat due to boredom, negative emotions resulting from loss of jobs, or lack of money to meet their daily needs.

However, Nyanzi also explains that emotional eating disorders may present in various ways. "Some people may fail to eat food at all due to the negative emotions they are experiencing and this may result in anorexia nervosa, another eating disorder characterized by excessive weight loss and loss of appetite."