April, Emotional Overeating Month

Do you eat when you are anxious or excited? Does food make you feel better? If so, you may be conditioned to turn to food for comfort. April is Emotional Overeating Awareness Month.

For many people, eating is something to do when you're bored, tired, anxious or dealing with emotions. Often these behaviors can lead to overeating. But eating to cope with emotions can lead to more negative feelings (guilt, lack of personal control and poor self-esteem) and perhaps to a cycle of mood-triggered eating.

If you eat because of emotions, start keeping a food record of what you eat, when you eat and why you eat. Recognizing what triggers eating can often make it easier to make changes.

Calgary Dietitian Andrea Holwegner
speaks on Emotional Eating

Resources

1. Emotional Eating: What Helps, WebMD 

2. Weight loss: Gain control of emotional eating, Mayo Clinic
3. Mindful Eating — Studies Show This Concept Can Help Clients Lose Weight and Better Manage Chronic Disease; Cheryl Harris, MPH, RD; Today’s Dietitian