The trick to beating emotional eating

Emotional eating is not uncommon but why let a bad day derail your diet?

According to a study by Ioanna Koptsi, an MSc student from the University of East London, being more aware of your eating behaviour can help prevent emotional eating.

Studying the payoff of mindful eating

"The link between food consumption and psychological wellbeing seems more complex than the direct relationship of hunger and eating. This study focused on understanding the role mindfulness plays in general eating behaviour and in the individual's Body Mass Index (BMI),” said Koptsi.

Some 68 participants (42 women and 33 men) completed three questionnaires focusing on eating habits, patterns and the ability to mindfully reflect on their eating practice.

The BMI of the participants was self-reported as: seven per cent were underweight, 63 per cent normal weight, 28 per cent were overweight and one per cent was obese.

Awareness calms emotional eating cues

The results showed that, when individuals were more aware of their eating behaviour, they tended to respond less to emotional cues. They seem more mindful, regarding both food consumption and maintenance of healthier BMI.

"Eating behaviour undoubtedly represents a challenge in modern life and both current and previous studies acknowledge the complexity of research on this topic. Emotional cues such as aggression, depression and anxiety can cause people to be less mindful of their eating habits,” explained Koptsi.

“The principles of mindful eating can be easily learned and these should be incorporated into current clinical and research practices.”

So before you buy a large packet of hot chips on a whim, take a moment to consider what you’ve already eaten today. If need be, write a list or make mindful eating a habit by starting a food diary.

Inevitably, when you stop to think about it, you’re more likely to choose a healthy food option, one that will make you feel good, than a greasy quick fix.

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