If all the diet attempts you make have negative results, you try to soothe your unhappiness with carbohydrate-rich foods, and suddenly find yourself at a point where you are losing the end of your rope by binge eating, be careful!You may have “Emotional Eating Syndrome”. According to the research; It seems that most people with obesity have binge eating attacks that they cannot prevent. Depression, worthlessness, unhappiness, etc. symptoms encourage binge eating. These people think that they calm their negative emotions by eating; Depression and anxiety disorders are seen. Psychiatrist Dr. Hakan Karaş gave information about emotional eating syndrome.
- They Binge Eat to Calm Down Negative Emotions
People just want to eat, that is, to fill their stomachs. They don't eat because of it. Eating is one of the main sources of pleasure. This is one of the reasons why the food culture is so developed and many meetings are held over food. In addition to eating being a source of pleasure; Just like all pleasurable substances, it also has the potential to calm our negative emotions. In other words, 'emotional eating syndrome' is not a condition specific to individuals with binge eating disorder or obesity. We all eat from time to time to feel better. However, people with 'binge eating disorder' do this very frequently, and the behavior of soothing their emotions with food becomes a chronic pattern for them. In other words, they cannot limit it and it gets out of control.
- Depression Slows Down Metabolism
Research shows that most people with obesity experience binge eating attacks that they cannot prevent. shows that it is. The greater the stress and emotional strain, the more intense and frequent these people experience binge eating attacks. People with binge eating disorder immediately after an uncontrollable overeating attack; They experience feelings of guilt, regret and disgust. Immediately before irrepressible eating attacks, there are usually negative emotions. For example; Many emotions such as depression, worthlessness, unhappiness, anxiety and anger make these people binge. It can lead to an eating attack. Binge eating disorder frequently accompanies people suffering from depression and anxiety disorders. Additionally, someone who is depressed or suffering from an anxiety disorder has a very weak capacity to cope with these emotions in other 'normal' ways, so their control over eating becomes very weak. If a person has a disorder such as depression or anxiety disorder, it is very difficult to control binge eating attacks without treatment of these disorders. Depression also slows down the body's metabolic rate. In other words, they may not be able to lose weight despite dieting. All of these can lead to a feeling of lack of will and helplessness in the person and worsen the situation.
- People Who Think They Are Not In Control Cannot Diet
Just like that. Just like people who want to quit smoking, want to exercise regularly, or want to change their lifestyle after suffering from a chronic disease, people with obesity constantly face the dilemma of whether to diet or not. In this case, the greater the person's belief in his own capacity, the more likely he is to realize these transformations. If the person thinks that he is not in control, that is, if his 'locus of control is external' in scientific terms, he cannot really achieve this transformation. It becomes difficult to make diet and lifestyle changes before the feeling of having influence over one's own life is established.
- The Causes Leading to Emotional Eating Syndrome Must Be Treated First
In order to get rid of the depression-obesity-overeating cycle, the person must first be in a good mood. It is very difficult for someone who does not feel well to change their lifestyle. But first of all, if the person is clinically; depression, anxiety disorder, binge eating disorder, etc. If there is a psychiatric disorder such as this, it needs to be treated. Additionally, medical causes such as thyroid disorders that cause both depression and increased appetite need to be investigated. Emotional eating habits and binge eating are habits acquired within the family in the early stages of life.
- How to Get Rid of Emotional Eating� �in…
When a person eats, the eating-hunger-emotion relationship, the content of the diet, the size and number of meals are the most important components of eating habits. After depression and other psychiatric conditions are treated, the person needs to change his eating habits in cooperation with his family. Increasing awareness of emotional needs contributes positively to eating patterns. In addition, increasing physical activity and including it in the daily routine regulates serotonin levels and has stimulating effects on the reward center in the brain. In this way, the person feels less need to stimulate the reward center through eating. Foods containing carbohydrates (sugar, pastries, etc.) are used more as sources of pleasure and sedatives. Including more food types in one's diet and reducing the carbohydrate content also reduces the habit of using carbohydrates as a reward. Along with all this, enriching one's sources of pleasure and reward other than eating with other social and physical activities makes one feel less need for food as a reward.
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