If you answered yes to some of these questions, it's possible that eating has become a coping mechanism instead of a way to fuel your body. Do other people in my family use food to soothe their feelings too?.Do I eat at unusual times, like late at night?.Has there been an event in my life that I'm having trouble dealing with?.Am I stressed, sad, or anxious over something, like school, a social situation, or at home?.The main question to ask yourself is: Is your eating triggered by a specific situation or mood? can make you eat more than you normally would.may cause specific cravings (e.g., for pizza or ice cream).means you're likely to stop eating when full.can be satisfied with any number of foods.comes on gradually and can be postponed.Next time you reach for a snack, check in and see which type of hunger is driving it. That's why it helps to know the differences between physical hunger and emotional hunger. And you often may feel worse about eating the amount or type of food you did. The trouble with emotional eating is that after the pleasure of eating is gone, the feelings that cause it remain. But for some people, emotional eating can be a real problem, causing weight gain or cycles of binge eating. We're all emotional eaters to some extent (who hasn't suddenly found room for dessert after a filling dinner?). And it starts with an awareness of what's going on. It's not easy to 'unlearn' patterns of emotional eating.

A kid who is given cookies as a way to stop crying may learn to link cookies with comfort. People learn emotional eating patterns: A child who gets candy after a big achievement may grow up using candy as a reward for a job well done. But emotional eating can be linked to positive feelings too, like the romance of sharing dessert on Valentine's Day or the celebration of a holiday feast. Little daily stresses can cause someone to seek comfort or distraction in food. People often turn to food when they're stressed out, lonely, sad, anxious, or bored. But understanding what drives emotional eating can help people take steps to change it. Not many of us make the connection between eating and our feelings. But when done a lot - especially without realizing it - emotional eating can affect weight, health, and overall well-being. We've all been there, finishing a whole bag of chips out of boredom or downing cookie after cookie while cramming for a big test. Emotional eating is when people use food as a way to deal with feelings instead of to satisfy hunger.

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