Excessive eating and psychology

Feeling hunger is something that happens to every living being, its a signal from our body letting us know we need to feed ourselves. A need of first rank that pushes us to direct our actions towards the achievement of a very simple objective: to find for food no matter what it takes.

But can we really fill ourselves with “tons” of food without really needing it nor being hungry? It may sound strange, but this can very well happen because our eating habits are not only based on the objective requirements of our body, but also on our beliefs about the amount of food we feel we should consume everyday, and we know our beliefs can be wrong especially when we find ourselves driven by intense emotions.

Its important to notice that our body’s capacity to ingest food can be bigger than we thought, in the world of competitive eaters for example, they “can expand their stomachs two to three times their normal size” while normal stomachs “...At its biggest, it stretches about 15%.”. | Source

In case you are not aware of the amount of food competitive eaters are able to ingest, there is an example below from one of the most famous ones called Matt Stonie:

Understanding our hunger

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When it comes to normal hunger it progressively increases simply because our body needs material to keep functioning and in good condition, and typically the individual has control over what they eat, so they can make wise decisions when its time to feed themselves, and of course, once the person has eaten the lovely feeling of satisfaction makes appearance and the cycle repeats itself.

But sometimes when we are feeling low, this hunger can appear abruptly and demands immediate satisfaction by consuming only sweet food such as ice cream, chocolate or any food with sugar in the search for a pleasurable sensation in order to fill some emotional void and to improve the mood. It is very common to do this when people have too much stress or anxiety, and are feeling depressed as a result. But as we all know, this wish for sweet food is also present in happy moments like birthdays and weddings where its normal to find huge cakes.

Linking sweet food with a feeling of happiness or well being might be because of our memories recorded in the subconscious when we were children and our rewards consisted in sweets which was a way for other people to prove their affection towards us, therefore, eating these foods can reminds us of this sensation.

… sugar releases naturally occurring opiates in the brain, such as endorphins that produce feelings of fulfillment and contentment. Eating sugar also causes the release of chemical messengers like dopamine, a neurochemical that motivates us to search for food. | Source

Of course, if we end up eating too much unhealthy food for whatever reason we will have a feeling of shame and remorse, because we know it leads to health issues in the long term, but sometimes the urge to eat these kind of food cannot be stopped.

Besides, if the reason why we are eating is because we are feeling low even if sweets or desserts are consumed, the positive effect they can cause doesn’t last much and in a few hours, this hunger will reappear. This is because feeling low or depressed is not something that can be satisfied just with food, love and affection are the things needed the most in this case.

Controlling our food intake

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The determinants of eating, food intake and portion size are many and varied. None of these determinants also typically act in isolation, and usually it’s not just one factor that acts on each eating occasion, but many. The majority of psychological factors however, currently act to increase intake and portion size. While cognitive control can be effective for healthy consumption and healthy portion sizes, there is definitely an argument for a greater reliance on biological factors, and a greater awareness and use of biological signals. | Source

If we don’t have any type of issues that could destabilize our decisions, then without any problems we can rationalize properly and choose what food can best nourish and satisfy us. On the other hand, if the hunger is caused by a delicate state in which we find ourselves because of personal difficulties, it would be important that we detect which feelings or emotions have triggered it and control those impulses so as not to eat junk or things with a large amount of sugar, in order to avoid surrendering ourselves to these temptations we need to have enough discipline so by only eating healthy food like fruits we can force ourselves to feel satisfied and remain like that.

A simply way to control our hunger caused by our disturbed feelings is to learn how to take control of our own thoughts, and to try to stop those feelings of hunger as soon as they appear, since they will lead us to make the least favorable decision for us, taking control of our life, and our wishes is necessary for every person, and that certainly include control of our own eating habits.

Going for a walk and taking fresh air, meditating, reading a book or any activity that is relaxing for us is useful when we need to calm down and make the hunger go away little by little without having to resort to an unhealthy snack.

Another option a little more practical is to organize a menu for the week. It does not have to be a diet, but only as a guide and try to stick as much as possible to it. It is important for the that food planning be done at a time in which we find ourselves perfectly well, so we can do this objectively and without having any sort of issue affecting our judgment,

Conclusion

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Everyone has at some point eaten without really being hungry, and there is no reason to be ashamed of it, it is totally fine. Nevertheless, it is necessary that we take action so that it does not start to affect us. Eating not because of hunger but because a need to improve our mood, in addition to having a negative effect on our physical looks and therefore on our self esteem, can also lead to illnesses due to an unbalanced diet.

By making better food choices, you might be able to control compulsive eating behaviors and weight gain. You might also experience feelings of calmness, high energy levels, or alertness from the foods you eat. | Source

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