Weight loss basics (11)
- Weight-loss tip: First, make sure you're ready
- Weight loss: 6 strategies for success
- Weight-loss goals: 10 tips for success
- see all in Weight loss basics
Diet plans (8)
- Low-carb diets
- Weight-loss options: 6 common diet plans
- Type 2 diabetes
- see all in Diet plans
Mayo Clinic diet (6)
- Energy density and weight loss: Feel full on fewer calories
- Mayo Clinic diet: A weight-loss program for life
- Snacks: How they fit into your weight-loss plan
- see all in Mayo Clinic diet
Diet and exercise (9)
- Exercise for weight loss: Calories burned in 1 hour
- Barriers to fitness: Overcoming common problems
- Aerobic exercise: Top 10 reasons to get physical
- see all in Diet and exercise
Diet pills, supplements and surgery (5)
- Alli weight-loss pill: Does it work?
- Weight-loss drugs: Can a prescription help you lose weight?
- Over-the-counter weight-loss pills: Do they work?
- see all in Diet pills, supplements and surgery
Mayo Clinic Health Manager
Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.
Get Started
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Weight-loss help: How to stop emotional eating
Find out how emotional eating can sabotage your weight-loss efforts and learn how you can regain control of your eating habits.
By Mayo Clinic staffSometimes the strongest longings for food happen when you're at your weakest point emotionally. Many people turn to food for comfort — consciously or unconsciously — when they're facing a difficult problem or looking to keep themselves occupied.
But emotional eating — eating as a way to suppress or soothe negative emotions, such as stress, anger, anxiety, boredom, sadness and loneliness — can sabotage your weight-loss efforts. Often, emotional eating leads to eating too much food, especially high-calorie, sweet, salty and fatty foods.
The good news is that if you're prone to emotional eating, you can take steps to regain control of your eating habits and get back on track with your weight-loss goals.
The connection between mood and food
Major life events — such as unemployment, health problems and divorce — and daily life hassles — such as a stressful work commute, bad weather and changes in your normal routine — can trigger emotions that lead to overeating. But why do negative emotions lead to overeating?
Some foods may have seemingly addictive qualities. For example, when you eat enticing foods, such as chocolate, your body releases trace amounts of mood- and satisfaction-elevating hormones. That "reward" may reinforce a preference for foods that are most closely associated with specific feelings. Related to this is the simple fact that the pleasure of eating offsets negative emotions.
Food can also be a distraction. If you're worried about an upcoming event or rethinking an earlier conflict, eating comfort foods may distract you. But the distraction is only temporary. While you're eating, your thoughts focus on the pleasant taste of your comfort food. Unfortunately, when you're done overeating, your attention returns to your worries, and you may now bear the additional burden of guilt about overeating.
Next page(1 of 2)
