One of the cornerstones of being healthy is adequate and balanced nutrition. Nutrition is a behavior that must be done consciously and controlled in order to protect and improve health and improve the quality of life. It is intertwined with psychological, sociological and cognitive processes as well as physiological. We don't always eat just to satisfy our hunger. We can also use food to reduce our stress and cope with negative emotions such as sadness, loneliness, anger and shame. Emotional eating (stress eating behavior) can be defined as consuming food to feel better and eating for emotional needs, unlike physical hunger. A person may tend to consume food even though he is not hungry in order to regulate his negative emotions. Scenarios that are familiar to all of us: a bored woman at home finding herself in front of the refrigerator, an employee angry with his boss running to a fast food restaurant, a young man breaking up with his girlfriend falling into a chocolate jar. It is known that carbohydrates and sugary foods have a mood-regulating effect on the brain. One of the frequently observed situations in this eating behavior, which occurs with the urge to control the negativities that develop in the mood, is eating much more than normal.
“All this is to keep myself from thinking, because thinking means confronting what I have done.” What is clear is that most binge eating episodes involve foods that the person is trying to avoid. This is actually a concrete reflection of the emotions that are tried to be avoided and covered up. Eating attack occurs as an automatic reaction. In the beginning, the person feels like he has lost control and is in a trance. When you realize what you have done, many negative emotions such as self-disgust, loathing, inadequacy, anger, and fear may surface. There may be various reasons underlying emotional eating, such as inadequate coping mechanisms, learned behaviors, social environment, feelings of emptiness and boredom, and stress. In binge eating and other eating disorders, vicious cycles occur that are repetitive and difficult to break. Unless these cycles are treated, they face the risk of turning into serious eating disorders that threaten health.
Eating disorders, eating behavior It occurs when thoughts and feelings about eating and eating cause serious discomfort to the person. Dieting appears as one of the stimuli that leads to the development of eating disorders. Excessive obsession with food, weight and appearance; It negatively affects physical health, social relationships and daily activities. Eating disorders are not just about food and weight. Although physical symptoms seem to be at the forefront, it progresses along with various psychological problems. An eating disorder provides an external, concrete solution to the confusion experienced in the person's emotional state.
So what does excessive concern about your body and weight mean? While most people evaluate themselves by how they perform in various areas of life, people with eating problems measure their existence by their body, weight and their ability to control it. Michael Strober from the University of California Los Angeles found out in his studies with people with eating problems that these people are afraid of being seen as inadequate or average by others, are reluctant to face risky or new situations, and prefer to stay in the background when it comes to taking spontaneous action and revealing their emotions. states that they did. People with eating disorders have an “all or nothing” way of thinking that oscillates between two extremes. Perfectionist nature, low self-esteem, tendency to obsessive thoughts, desire to control everything, impulsivity, depression, distorted body perception and family problems can pave the way for eating disorders. The perception of beauty and body created by the media and fashion world can also contribute to the development of eating disorders.
Eating disorder-related symptoms are a way for the person to refuse to confront problems or are an attempt to gain control of their life. Allowing oneself to feel uncomfortable emotions can be scary. Eating or not eating too much can become a defense mechanism to avoid these feelings. However, in the long run, unresolved psychological processes lead the person into a deeper physical and psychological depression. Eating is part of normal life You should not hesitate to seek professional help when the behavior ceases to be a necessary behavior and becomes a current issue.
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