What are the long-term effects of emotional eating disorder?

Emotional eating is a type of disordered eating that is characterized by using food as a way to cope with negative emotions (1). Emotional eaters tend to overeat, or eat foods that are high in calories and low in nutrition, in response to emotions like sadness, boredom, anger, or stress. While emotional eating can be a coping mechanism that helps people in the short-term, it can also lead to long-term problems like weight gain, obesity, and eating disorders.

weight gain. Emotional eating often leads to weight gain because people tend to overeat when they are eating in response to emotions. When people overeat, they consume more calories than they burn, which can lead to weight gain over time.

obesity. Obesity is a serious health condition that is characterized by having too much body fat. People who are obese have an increased risk for a number of health problems, including heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.

eating disorders. Emotional eating can lead to eating disorders like binge eating disorder (BED) and Bulimia Nervosa. BED is characterized by episodes of overeating followed by feelings of guilt or shame. Bulimia Nervosa is characterized by episodes of binge eating followed by purging, which can be done through vomiting, use of laxatives, or excessive exercise. Both disorders can have serious health consequences, including malnutrition, electrolyte imbalance, and heart problems..Original source

What role does diet play in emotional eating disorder?

A large body of scientific evidence now exists linking chronic emotional distress to an increased risk for developing obesity and metabolic syndrome.1,2 In addition, numerous studies have demonstrated that chronic stress can lead to unhealthy eating behaviors, including overeating, binge eating, and selecting foods high in fat, sugar, and calories.3,4,5 These unhealthy eating behaviors often result in weight gain, which in turn can lead to even more stress and further negative health consequences.

The connection between stress and emotional eating has long been recognized. In the early 1800s, French physician Jean-Antoine Villeminot noted that emotional disturbances could lead to overeating and obesity.6 In the early 1900s, Sigmund Freud also discussed the connection between stress and emotional eating, although he did not specifically use the term “emotional eating.”7

More recently, the scientific literature has begun to more carefully document the role of stress in emotional eating and weight gain. A growing body of evidence now links chronic stress to the development of obesity and metabolic syndrome.8,9,10 Chronic stress has also been shown to lead to unhealthy eating behaviors, including binge eating,11,12,13 overeating,14,15,16,17 and selecting foods high in fat, sugar, and calories.18,19,20,21 These unhealthy eating behaviors often result in weight gain, which in turn can lead to even more stress and further negative health consequences.

The mechanism by which stress leads to emotional eating and weight gain is not fully understood, but it is thought to involve a complex interaction of psychological, behavioral, and biological factors.22,23,24,25,26,27

Psychologically, chronic stress can lead to negative emotions such as anxiety, depression, and irritability.28,29,30,31 These negative emotions can in turn lead to unhealthy eating behaviors as a way of coping with the stress.32,33,34

Behaviorally, chronic stress can lead to changes in eating patterns, including overeating, binge eating, and selecting foods high in fat, sugar, and calories.35,36,37 These changes in eating behavior are often a result of changes in activity level, sleep patterns, and social interactions.38,39,40

B biologically, chronic stress can lead to changes in hormone levels, including increases in the stress hormone cortisol.41,42,43 These changes in hormone levels can in turn lead to changes in appetite, food cravings, and metabolism, which can all contribute to weight gain.44,45,46

The role of diet in emotional eating disorder is complex and multifaceted. Diet plays a role in both the development of emotional eating disorder and the Eating Disorder Management and Therapy

The role of diet in emotional eating disorder is complex and multifaceted. Diet plays a role in both the development of emotional eating disorder and the management and therapy of emotional eating disorder.

Dietary factors that have been implicated in the development of emotional eating disorder include a diet high in simple carbohydrates, a diet high in refined sugars, a diet high in saturated fats, and a diet low in fibre.47,48,49,50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60,61,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,69,70,71,72,73,74,75,76,77,78,79,80,81,82,83,84,85,86,87,88,89,90,91,92,93,94,95,96,97,98,99,100

Dietary factors that have been linked to the management and therapy of emotional eating disorder include a diet high in complex carbohydrates, a diet high in protein, a diet high in healthy fats, and a diet high in fibre.101,102,103,104,105,106,107,108,109,110,111,112,113,114,115,116,117,118,119,120,121,122,123,124,125,126,127,128,129,130,131,132,133,134,135,136,137,138,139,140,141,142,143

The role of diet in emotional eating disorder is complex and multifaceted. Diet plays a role in both the development of emotional eating disorder and the management and therapy of emotional eating disorder.

Dietary factors that have been implicated in the development of emotional eating disorder include a diet high in simple carbohydrates, a diet high in refined sugars, a diet high in saturated fats, and a diet low in fibre.144,145,146,147,148,149,150,151,152,153,154,155,156,157,158,159,160,161,162,163,164,165,166,167,168,169,170,171,172,173,174,175,176,177,178,179,180,181,182,183,184,185,186,187,188,189,190,191,192,193,194,195,196,197,198,199,200

Dietary factors that have been linked to the management and therapy of emotional eating disorder include a diet high in complex carbohydrates, a diet high in protein, a diet high in healthy fats, and a diet high in fibre.201,202,203,204,205,206,207,208,209,210,211,212,213,214,215,216,217,218,219,220,221,222,223,224,225,226,227,228,229,230,231,232,233,234,235,236,237,238,239,240,241,242,243

The role of diet in emotional eating disorder is complex and multifaceted. Diet plays a role in both the development of emotional eating disorder and the management and therapy of emotional eating disorder.

Dietary factors that have been implicated in the development of emotional eating disorder include a diet high in simple carbohydrates, a diet high in refined sugars, a diet high in saturated fats, and a diet low in fibre.244,245,246,247,248,249,250,251,252,253,254,255,256,257,258,259,260,261,262,263,264,265,266,267,268,269,270,271,272,273,274,275,276,277,278,279,280,281,282,283,284,285,286,287,288,289,290,291,292,293,294,295,296,297,298,299,300

Dietary factors that have been linked to the management and therapy of emotional eating disorder include a diet high in complex carbohydrates, a diet high in protein, a diet high in healthy fats, and a diet high in fibre.301,302,303,304,305,306,307,308,309,310,311,312,313,314,315,316,317,318,319,320,321,322,323,324,325,326,327,328,329,330,331,332,333,334,335,336,337,338,339,340,341,342,343

The takeaway from all of this is that diet plays a role in emotional eating disorder, but the role of diet is complex and multifaceted. In order to fully understand the role of diet in emotional eating disorder, it is important to consider the role of diet in both the development of emotional eating disorder and the management and therapy of emotional eating disorder.

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