Medicosnext
Words by Astha Karkee
“Diet and eating patterns are influenced by physiological, psychological, environmental, and social factors, shaping our relationship with food and emotions.”
Human health is closely related to our diet, nutrition, and eating behavior. Diet and eating patterns are affected by various factors like physiological, psychological- environmental, and social behavior. Eating behavior is related to food intake which directly affects meal timing, frequency of meals, the quantity of food intake, meal contents, attitude to meals, as well as food preferences. Some studies have shown that consumption of hyper-palatable energy-dense foods rich in unhealthy fat and sugar might be related to emotions.
Nutrition and Emotion
The food we consume has a direct effect on our mood and emotional health. Healthy eating pattern maintains our mental health, however, unhealthy patterns cause mood swings. The mood swings are often related to blood sugar fluctuations and nutritional imbalances. Consumption of a variety of fruits, and vegetables high in polyphenols, omega-3, and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) lowers oxidative stress and inflammation, supporting brain function and regulating neurotransmitters. However, when there is a lack of proper nutrients, and regular fuel in the body, our mind and body can not function well. Intake of high saturated fatty foods, sugars, and processed foods causes inflammation, and mood swings, and can lead to stress and anxiety as well. Skipping meals leads to low blood sugar levels, a high intake of unhealthy, processed carbohydrates leads to fluctuating blood sugar levels causing a drop in energy and irritation, and less variation in foods leads to low levels of Vitamin B, magnesium, zinc, iron, omega- 3 fatty acids, which in turn results in decreased energy and worsening of mood.
Emotion and Binge eating
Emotional eating tends to co-occur with overeating patterns caused by emotional triggers like negative emotions or stress and positive emotions. Factors like the sight and smell of the food also activate this eating pattern. Negative emotions can increase as well as decrease the food intake depending on the intensity of the emotions. High arousal emotions like anger or fear might lead to a decrease in intake, whereas emotions like stress, and sadness might cause increased intake. Contrarily, the positive emotions like happiness, and excitement can also increase the food intake. The most common emotional eating patterns observed are ice cream following a breakup, a bowl full of potato chips or popcorn while watching television after a hectic day, chocolates, and energy drinks while studying or working.
Various factors can contribute to emotional eating:
- Food availability
Studies have found that when food is readily available, there is increased food- snack intake in response to both positive and negative emotions. Whenever individuals have easy access to both healthy and unhealthy foods, we can find their kitchens are normally stacked with those foods. So, when emotions trigger the individual there is an increased intake of foods.
- Habitual pattern
There is a difference in the consumption pattern when it comes to smokers and non-smokers. When exposed to high stress, non-smokers depicted increased food intake whereas smokers showed less intake as they were found to rely more on smoking instead of eating. The habitual pattern in link with stress may not always be relevant as some individuals rely on meditation and exercise to overcome stress rather than eating.
- Stress
Stress is associated with increased hunger hormones as it leads to the release of cortisol. High cortisol levels can lead to increased appetite hence causing overeating. Cortisol can increase cravings for sugary and fatty food, hence affecting our health. In many individuals, overeating is a way to cope with stress and calm themselves.
- Environmental factors
Environmental factors like our cultural and social factors have a huge influence on our eating patterns. In different festivals, celebrations, gatherings, and parties linked with emotional experiences often food and drinks are important factors, leading to over consumption.
“Stress increases hunger hormones, leading to overeating and a preference for sugary, fatty foods, impacting our health.”
Emotional eating is one of the factors that may be related to binge eating, which is characterized as consumption of a huge amount of food in a short time period where the individual feels loss of control during the eating episode. Emotional eating and binge eating are two interconnected phenomena that often form a complex relationship with food. Binge eating is often triggered by factors like emotional distress, restrictive diets opted for weight management and negative body image. Binge eating is a more serious form of eating disorder, characterized by symptoms like-
- Recurrent episodes of eating large quantities of food (when not hungry)
- Loss of control during the binge
- Eating very quick to the point of discomfort
- Fear of eating in public so eating alone or secretly
- Feeling ashamed, guilty or distressed after eating
- In most individuals, using unhealthy balancing method like purging using fingers or using laxatives
Various factors that contribute to Binge Eating:
- Genetic factor
Studies were able to identify a gene (CYFIP2) as a major risk factor for binge eating. Therefore, some individuals might be more susceptible to binge eating due to their genetic makeup.
“Mindful eating encourages presence, aiding in portion control and reshaping unhealthy food patterns for a balanced relationship with food.”
- Restrictive Diets
Restrictive diet patterns are one of the strongest predictors for the development of eating disorders. Weight management with fad diets, results in issues like starvation, nutrients deficiency, etc. so individuals might feel constant hunger, irritation, weakness, and have poor mental health. When the body is in starvation mode, it responds by reducing the metabolic rate which may result in binge eating behaviour.
- Emotional and Environmental Factors
Various issues like low self-esteem, ADHD, depression, anxiety, poor body self-image can be trigger factors for binge eating. Individuals who are subjected to frequent negative comments, body shaming, bullying are also driven towards binge eating. Individuals with these issues often use food as their way to comfort their emotional pain.
Impact of these eating patterns on Nutrition
Emotional and binge eating has been associated with increased body mass index (BMI)- mainly an increase in body fat percentage, higher waist circumference, and central obesity. These patterns are directly linked to clinical conditions like obesity, diabetes, hypertension, increased cholesterol levels, liver issues, etc. Along with the physical issues, individuals might also develop mental health issues like anxiety, and depression, and other issues like sleep disorders, gut issues, and joint and muscle pain.
Addressing emotional and binge eating for well-being
- Keeping a food diary
Recording the food intake, along with the hunger and fullness scale, location, and feeling during the meal time can help in identifying the unusual food intake and addressing it accordingly.
- Identifying the emotional and nutritional aspects of eating behavior
It is really important to identify the root cause for the emotional and binge eating pattern so that the individual can work on the cause and address the unhealthy pattern. Sometimes we might require guidance from an expert counselor as well as a nutritionist/ dietitian. It is really important to maintain balance and variation in diet to address both physical and mental impacts on health.
- Keeping the kitchen store healthy
When the access to unhealthy food options is less, then the consumption decreases as well. So when we control our kitchen shopping pattern and the food we buy, the intake pattern changes as well. Also a different pattern has been noted that we tend to eat the thing we see on a routine basis, so keeping healthy food in sight and unhealthy food out of sight can be a good idea to keep yourself from eating unhealthy food.
- Mindful eating
It encourages an individual’s full presence while eating hence savoring the moment. It can lead to positive changes helping the individual to be aware of the portions. It can help in addressing unhealthy food patterns as well. Also, it is better to separate the portion size in a separate bowl/ plate rather than indulging in an entire packet of food. This kind of change in behavior helps in portion control.
A holistic approach is really important to address nutrition, emotional, and binge eating issues. Our food choices affect our emotional and mental well-being so it is vital to understand our food behaviour. Various factors play a vital role in changing the cycle of emotional and binge eating like nutritional awareness, addressing emotional aspects, and incorporating healthy eating patterns. A balanced and mindful eating behavior is important to maintain a positive relationship with food.
By
Astha Karkee
Clinical and Behavioral Nutritionist
