The urge to overeat doesn’t arise out of nowhere. Often, we lose control over our food intake due to deep-seated reasons rooted in our mental state. Here are some common triggers for overeating.
Stress
Everyone deals with stress differently. Some people lose their appetite, while others find comfort in food. Not only overeating but other serious eating disorders can begin with stress. Unfortunately, this leads to negative consequences: stomach stretching, dependency on food, and feelings of guilt every time you eat too much and lose control.
Family Habits
Overeating can be a learned behavior that’s hard to break. If your family has always eaten more than necessary, you might have seen it as normal. It can be challenging to go against the grain if you want to overcome the habit of overeating, but it’s essential for your physical and mental health.
Emotional Trauma
Emotions play a huge role in our eating habits. Some people overeat when they feel emotions like sadness, irritation, anger, or anxiety. Often, anxiety leads us to reach for a bag of chips, a pizza, or sugary sodas. We seek comfort and a dopamine boost from food to temporarily ease our anxiety and feel better. The problem is that the effect is fleeting, and the harm to our health can be substantial. So it might be helpful to focus not only on creating a healthy eating routine but also on managing anxiety.
Cultural Influence
Culture can significantly affect our eating habits. If you’re often around people who overeat and view food as life’s primary joy, you may adopt similar habits over time. Social media can also impact your eating behavior. If you constantly see unhealthy foods and people consuming more food than they need, you may notice yourself reaching for a portion you don’t actually require.
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Brain Anomalies
Some people prone to eating disorders have brain anomalies that affect their relationship with food. The habit of overeating can stem from disrupted signals between the brain and stomach, which indicate fullness. You may eat more than necessary without realizing you’re already full. However, most causes of overeating are psychological, and the brain is an organ that can be “retrained.” So if you find yourself overeating regularly and unable to stop, it might be beneficial to see both a psychotherapist and a gastroenterologist.
Hormonal Imbalances
Various health conditions can lead to hormonal imbalances that cause overeating. To break the habit of eating more than necessary, it’s wise to start with a full health examination. If hormones are the issue, a treatment plan can help you feel better and get back on track with healthy eating.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
OCD is a common anxiety disorder that causes people to engage in compulsive behaviors. Individuals with OCD often have a need for control that can vary from mild to extreme. Compulsive overeating is one possible result of OCD; you might eat more than you need to feel a sense of control and find some peace. Fortunately, OCD can be managed through therapy and by following a therapist’s recommendations.
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Boredom
Boredom can be a trigger for overeating. When you’re bored and unsure what to do, it’s easy to find yourself in the kitchen, reaching for a sweet treat to lift your spirits or eating more than you need while watching a funny show. You may notice that when you’re engaged in something interesting, you can even forget about meals. Although skipping meals isn’t healthy either, keeping yourself busy and overcoming boredom is one way to prevent overeating.
Daily Temptations
It’s hard to eat right when there are chips and cookies in the cupboard. Walking past a bakery with the aroma of fresh pastries can be tempting, even if you’re not hungry. These everyday temptations are a significant trigger for overeating. You might feel content and not even hungry, yet find it difficult to resist a treat in front of you. To combat overeating, try to reduce the number of temptations in your daily life.
Large Portions and Big Packages
Sometimes, the habit of overeating develops early on. Parents might have insisted, “You can’t leave the table until you finish your plate,” even if you weren’t hungry. Visits to a grandparent’s house may mean eating to avoid causing offense. Even if your family doesn’t encourage overeating, the habit can still arise. This can happen when faced with large portions or big packages of food, even healthy items. You may feel full but decide to finish the food on your plate or in the package. To avoid this, manage portion sizes, buy food in smaller packages, or save leftovers for later.
