Eating Disorders

Many people indulge in stress-eating occasionally. They may have hit a bad patch in their marriage, run up against a deadline at work, or missed the train. To soothe their anxiety, they may reach for food as a temporary relief. The problem lies when stress eating becomes an ongoing habit. You find yourself eating ice cream every night after the kids go to bed to feel better about your horrible day at work with the new boss. Or you swing into the drive-thru at the local fast-food place four evenings a week before coming home to make dinner because you desperately want ten minutes to decompress. Stress eating has become a habit, a compulsion. Unfortunately, eating this way can lead to chronic inflammation, obesity, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, depression, and anxiety, and increase your risk for other physical and mental conditions. Now is the time to take control. Tips for Overcoming Stress Eating Stress eating is a habit that becomes a compulsion because our brains recognize it as giving us temporary pleasure or relief. When our brains recognize that we are in a stressful situation, they take the path of least resistance and urge us to continue the behavior. Changing this behavior takes practice, but first, we need to recognize the thoughts and emotions behind it. Acknowledge the behavior You need to recognize that you are engaging in stress eating behaviors and want to change this eating pattern to benefit your physical and mental well-being. Identify your thoughts and emotions Before every action is a thought and emotion that drives the behavior. For example, you may think that your new boss dislikes you, making you feel sad and frustrated. As a result, you turn to a pint of ice cream to feel better. Reframe your thoughts Challenge [...]