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As addictions go, using food to meet emotional needs may seem less damaging than other types of addiction, such as using drugs or alcohol. However, food addiction does its own damage. Emotional binge eating can cause weight gain and aggravate other health issues, such as heart disease and diabetes.
Understanding Food Addiction
When a person engages in emotional eating, he or she uses food as an escape. Unpleasant emotions such as boredom, anger, pain and frustration are sometimes mitigated temporarily by a bowl of ice cream or a bag of potato chips. The temporary enjoyment relieves other forms of discomfort. However, the temporary relief leaves behind its own torment. Guilt about the additional calories can compound the emotional issues that led to the binge eating in the first place.
Food Addiction and Health Issues
The challenge of food addiction is that most people who resort to food to feel better emotionally reach for fatty and sugary foods. Chocolate, ice cream, fries and pizza are common comfort foods that are high in fat and calories. Many comfort foods are high in cholesterol, leading to heart disease and other health issues.
Combating Food Addiction
Dealing with food addiction requires facing the emotions that caused the binge eating. Listening to comforting music, writing in a journal or taking a stroll around the block are effective activities for calming the mind and avoiding food. Once the underlying emotional issues are addressed, a desire to overeat is usually diminished. Consciously choosing to engage in a form of exercise, such as biking, aerobics or running also helps to reduce emotional stress.
