Sometimes we, as humans, eat for emotional reasons. We may be eating to make us feel better or to prove to ourselves that we are not hungry. Or maybe you’re just trying to lose weight and you’re craving healthy foods.
Food addiction
There is a growing understanding of eating behaviors that are more than just taste preferences or food likes and dislikes. These behaviours go beyond simple nutritional needs, and influence how you feel about yourself and your body.
Some researchers refer to these habits as “eating disorders” but this term can be misleading. While some people with such habits may suffer from binge-eating disorder or compulsive overnutrition, they are not necessarily suffering from an eating disorder per se.
Instead, these individuals have developed unhealthy patterns of eating that affect their daily lives and long-term health.
Food addictions are also different from normal tastes. Although someone who enjoys chocolate might describe themselves as having a chocolate craving, for most people — especially adults — it is boring (or even sickening) to eat too much chocolate.
But if you find the same type of chocolate delicious, then perhaps you do have a chocolate craving. More likely though, you have a chocolate habit – you enjoy chocolate and you eat too much of it.
This article will discuss some types of eating behavior, what signs indicate there is a problem and some possible treatments. But first, let us look at why people develop eating habits and what impacts our overall wellbeing.
Compulsive eating
When you feel hungry, try to ignore your hunger by not feeding yourself anything – that is, do not eat any food whatsoever for as many minutes as possible. Or if you have food at home, try to avoid eating it unless you are really craving it.
Many people who suffer from compulsive eating also learn how to make themselves throw away their snacks or meals. By learning this habit, they teach their body to get rid of excess calories more quickly so that they can stop eating altogether later.
Alternatively, some practice limited fasting – going without food for certain amount of time every day. This helps your body use up all its stored energy, and sometimes a short fast will wake your body up enough to start thinking about appetite regulation again.
There are several different types of diets that focus on either weight loss or weight control. How well these work for anyone individual depends on what works for you individually.
Drinking more
When it comes to eating, drinking is typically categorized into three main types: food drinkers, beverage drinkers and people who are drink less of either beverages or foods. These types differ not only in what they consume, but how much they ingest.
People who eat enough fruits and vegetables and stay hydrated are considered health experts because they’re giving their bodies the necessary nutrients it needs to function properly.
Beverage drinkers are also at risk for obesity due to the fact that most alcoholic drinks contain lots of sugar. This can lead to weight gain if you feel hungry while drinking.
If you find that you’re always thirsty, even after drinking water, then you may be one of the few who suffer from hypothryoglossy, which means your tongue drops down as you swallow making it difficult to tell whether you’re swallowing or not.
Less physical activity
It is very common to see people in our society becoming less active as time goes on. This has become even more prevalent with the use of technology, where you can access everything from your phone, computer, tablet, and TV at anytime.
In fact, studies show that over 60% of adults spend at least 2 hours per day using a screen, which means they are spending half their day inactive!
This could be due to it being easy to remain seated during this time, or because it is too expensive to go out and do things like eat and exercise.
It is important to recognize how much energy we consume and what activities we should include in our daily lives. Being active for just a few minutes every hour can make a big difference in helping us lose weight and keep it off.
Some examples of non-physical activities are: listening to music, surfing the net, talking on the phone, watching television, etc.
Mood disorders
Another condition that can cause weight gain is mood disorder. This happens when someone experiences frequent or significant changes in their emotions.
People with this type of mental health problem may have symptoms like anxiety, depression, anger issues, irritability and/or excessive crying.
When they are not feeling well, these people may eat more to feel better or avoid things that make them unhappy.
Some experts believe obesity can be an early sign of mood disorder. Therefore, it’s important to check out warning signs of emotional distress in friends or family members.
If you notice changes in how your friend or loved one eats, talks about food or seems stressed or depressed frequently, it could indicate a mood issue.
Insulin resistance
Another important factor in overweight development is insulin resistance. This happens when your body does not produce enough of the hormone insulin, which helps to regulate blood glucose levels.
When you eat foods that are high in carbohydrates (“carbs”), your pancreas releases a small amount of insulin to help lower the glucose level in your blood. It takes some time for this process to work, so if you’re hungry soon after eating, it can be difficult to feel full.
As mentioned before, overproduction of insulin can cause insulin resistance. Because there’s more insulin in your system, it takes longer to reduce glucose levels.
Having too much insulin in your blood may also increase cortisol production, which has negative effects on bone health. Cortisol acts like salt in food, helping to keep blood pressure up. Having both elevated insulin and cortisol can have serious long-term consequences for your heart and bones.
