Women and Emotional Eating
There are many reasons to eat. We eat to fill a physical need; our stomach growls and we know it’s time to refuel. We eat when we’re happy, sad or angry and sometimes because we’re bored. We eat to pass the time or simply because the food tastes good. Or maybe something triggers a thought of food. As a dietitian, I spend a lot of time talking about food. Funny how I have noticed at times when a client harps on a particular food, let’s say pizza, I find myself craving it later!
For women, the relationship with food is often a tumultuous one. This article on the Women to Women website (www.womentowomen.com) does a great job of explaining the reasons (both physiological and emotional) why women eat aside from physical hunger. Emotional Eating – Healing Starts with Awareness. Keep in mind eating emotionally from time to time or occasionally eating more than you are hungry for fit within the spectrum of normal eating. It’s when these behaviors become chronic patterns that there is reason for concern.
