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Compulsive Overeating and How to Stop It

Think back to the last time you ate so much you felt absolutely stuffed. Were you tearing into a huge cake to celebrate a friend’s birthday? Loading up on turkey and sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving? Or were you at home alone, maybe at the end of a tough day? How did you feel afterward — simply annoyed that you gave yourself a stomachache? Or were you tormented by guilt or shame?

Eating too much every once in a while is normal. So is eating for emotional reasons. “From the moment we’re born, we’re nurtured with food, rewarded with food, and so emotional connections to food are normal,” says Michelle May, MD, author of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat.

People who compulsively overeat, though, may use food as their only way of coping with negative emotions. As a result, they often feel that their eating is out of control. They think about food all the time and feel guilty, ashamed, or depressed after eating. “That’s very different from what someone feels after, say, eating a big Thanksgiving meal,” May says. “You might feel full, and you might regret having had that last slice of pie, but you’re not consumed with shame.”

Some people who overeat have a clinical disorder called binge eating disorder (BED). People with BED compulsively eat large amounts of food in a short amount of time and feel guilt or shame afterward. And they do so often: at least once a week over a period of at least 3 months.

Not everyone who overeats is a binger. You might eat a lot of food throughout the day, rather than all in one sitting. And you might not do it regularly, but only when you’re feeling stressed, lonely, or upset.

How does it start?

In some cases, people simply overeat out of mindless habit, like always sitting down with a bag of chips in front of the TV at night. But oftentimes, it’s the result of underlying emotional problems. Having a negative body image can play a big role.

For many people, compulsive overeating is part of a cycle that starts with a restrictive diet. May calls it the “eat, repent, repeat” cycle. You might begin a diet because you feel bad about your weight or size but find that it’s too hard to stick to — especially if you use food as a coping tool. Eventually, you hit a breaking point and binge on “forbidden” foods, and then the guilt and shame set in, and the restrictions begin again.

The cycle can be hard to break. “Even people who say they’re not on a diet often have ingrained ideas about ‘good’ or ‘bad’ foods,” says Marsha Hudnall, president of Green Mountain at Fox Run in Vermont, a center for women who struggle with overeating. “But when you have a substance that is naturally appealing and soothing and comforting, and you make it off-limits, it just becomes more attractive.”

Can people be “addicted” to food?

In recent years, food addiction has become a popular idea among some scientists. Those researchers say that certain foods high in fat, sugar, and salt are addictive, causing changes in the brain similar to those made by drugs. Studies in animals have shown that rats that binge on sugar, for example, can develop signs of dependency.

But the idea of food addiction is controversial. For one thing, the standard treatment for addiction is abstinence, and that’s not possible with food. Also, “dieting is a very strong component of the binge eating cycle,” May says. “From that standpoint, it’s counterproductive to label certain foods as negative.”

There’s no doubt that eating can stimulate the release of feel-good chemicals in the brain, Hudnall says. “But that doesn’t make food an addictive substance. There’s evidence that it’s actually the behavior — the restrict/binge cycle — that causes the signs of dependency, not the food itself,” she says. Some researchers have even stated that the term “eating addiction” is a more accurate term than “food addiction.”

How can I control compulsive eating?

Seek help. It can be hard to stop overeating on your own, particularly if there are deep-rooted emotional problems involved, says Robin B. Kanarek, PhD, professor of psychology at Tufts University. Working with a counselor can help you uncover the psychological triggers — like a negative body image — that may be driving your behavior.

Avoid labels. “Understand that you’re not a bad person doing bad things,” May says. “Labeling yourself can become a self-fulfilling prophecy in terms of continuing the cycle.”

The same goes for labeling foods. “Food is food — it’s not ‘good’ or ‘bad,’” Kanarek says. “It can be hard to get over those deeply held beliefs, but research shows that if you eat what you deem a ‘bad’ food, you’re more likely to overeat afterward.”

Take a pause. When you feel like eating, pause for a moment and ask yourself: Am I hungry? “Sometimes people get so focused on what they want to eat that they don’t stop and ask themselves why they want to eat,” May says. If you use food as a coping tool, you may be out of touch with the cues that signal hunger or fullness, and it’s important to bring your awareness back to your body.

Change your environment. “A habit is very often simply a behavior that’s on autopilot,” Hudnall says. Making a tweak to your environment can return your focus to your behavior and give you a chance to make a more purposeful decision. For example, Hudnall says, “if you always sit in a certain chair to eat, move it to a different place in the room — or sit somewhere else entirely.”

Give into cravings — in moderation. Banning foods can cause you to overeat them later on. If you’re really craving something — even if you’re not hungry — give yourself permission to have a small amount.

End restrictive diets . “Overeating and restrictive eating are often two sides of the same coin,” May says. “Deprivation can be a trigger for overeating just like stress, anger, or anxiety.”

Show Sources

University of Rochester Medical Center: “Understanding Compulsive Overeating.”

American Psychiatric Association: “Feeding and Eating Disorders.”

Michelle May, MD, author, Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat.

Marsha Hudnall, MS, RD, president, Green Mountain at Fox Run, Vermont.

Robin B. Kanarek, PhD, professor of psychology, Tufts University.

Avena, A. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 2008.

Hedebrand, J. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, November 2014.

I Can’t Stop Eating: Why and What to Do?

Help, I can’t stop eating! Don’t worry. You’re not the only one with this problem. In fact, there are many people who need help because they do not know why they can’t stop eating, even when they feel absolutely stuffed. Whether it was at a party or alone at home, you surely felt annoyed, guilty or ashamed of yourself for not being able to control your tendency to overeat.

Why Can’t I Stop Eating?

1. Lack of Sleep

Studies show that people who cut their nighttime sleeping hours by about an hour and 20 minutes consume over 500 calories more than they usually would the next day. The explanation is that lack of sleep can affect the balance of your ghrelin and leptin levels, the hormones that control appetite. Sluggishness can also make you look for more snacks during the day.

2. Skipping Meals

If you regularly skip breakfast or lunch, you may eat more at dinner, because ghrelin, your hunger-stimulating hormone is released. This hormone tells your brain you’re hungry, so if you miss a meal, this hormone runs high in your bloodstream all day long. Hah, no wonder I can’t stop eating!

3. Body Building

If you are trying to bulk up your muscles and work out all day, your body will need more calories. You may be burning a lot of calories while strength training, even without the cardio exercises. When you build muscle, more calories are burned and your body looks for more food.

4. Protein Shakes

If you are on a high protein diet and drinking shakes all day instead of eating real food, your body will naturally look forsomething to chew on. Even if you get enough calories from protein shakes, this type of diet can leave you hungry all the time.

5. Thirst

I can’t stop eating even when I’m not hungry. That’s a common complaint. Ask yourself if you have taken enough water. Sometimes the body confuses thirst for hunger since thirst can also make you feel lightheaded and fatigued. Try to drink lots of water during the day. Studies show that drinking two cups of water just before eating a meal can make you eat 75-90 calories fewer during the meal.

6. Stress

Do you see yourself eating more when you are stressed? One study actually found that NFL fans ate more fatty foods when their team lost than when they won. Food can have a soothing effect, so if you are constantly stressed, you may be eating more even when you are not really that hungry.

7. Distracted Eating

Sometimes, without knowing it, you are eating more than you should when you are doing something else while eating snacks. For example, if you are munching junk food while watching TV or working on your computer, you might not even realize you’ve finished a whole bag of chips.

8. Social Environment

When you go out to eat with friends, you may eat more than you planned to. Talking and having fun while eating, or eating as others do can also make you go over your calorie count.

9. Alcohol

Eating while drinking alcohol can take away all your inhibitions and forget your diet. Aside from increasing appetite, alcoholic drinks like beer can also increase your calorie intake.

10. Multiple Serving Package

I can’t stop eating potato chips! Many food products are packed in large packages that are meant to contain multiple servings. If you eat straight out of this packaging, you may be eating more than just one serving. So stop eating from a gallon of ice cream or a jar of nuts and just get a small portion in a cup or small plate that is meant for one serving.

11. Empty Calories

Foods that contain a lot of calories but are poor in nutrient or fiber content can make you eat more because they never make you full. Instead of eating foods with empty calories, try taking foods that contain protein, fiber, or water, which can make you feel fuller.

12. Psychological Hunger

The mere sight or odor of food can make you think you are hungry even if you are not physically hungry. Even if you have eaten, exposure to sights and smells of food can make you keep on wanting to eat.

13. Binge Eating Disorder

Finally, the problem may be related to an eating disorder called binge eating disorder, a condition where one compulsively eats large amounts of food within a short amount of time. Affected individuals usually feel shameful or guilty afterward. People who have this problem binge eat at least once a week for at least 3 months.

What to Do If I Can’t Stop Eating

1. Create Awareness

If you can’t tell whether you are hungry enough to eat, try making your own hunger scale. For example, on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is famished and 10 is stuffed, try to determine your level of hunger. Try not to eat, unless you are feeling at least a 5. This will help you practice more awareness and self-control. Make a visual scale and tape it to your refrigerator, office table, or wherever you tend to overeat.

2. Eat Mindfully

Try not to do anything else while you are eating your meals. Resist the temptation to use your cellphone, computer or TV while eating. This will help you eat more mindfully and will ultimately make your eating more satisfying.

3. Choose Healthy Foods

One secret to eating well is to consume healthy foods with lots of protein, fiber, small amounts of healthy fats and other nutrients. It is also advisable to eat meals regularly to make you feel less hungry.

4. Set a Timer

It may take some time before your brain realizes your body is full after eating a meal, especially if you have been eating hurriedly. This is why some people say “I can’t stop eating”,even if they are actually full. So if you’re not sure whether you should eat more, stop for a while. Set a timer for about 10 minutes and do something else, like checking your emails.

5. Keep a Food Journal

This is one of the most effective techniques to find out why, what and how much you are eating every day. It helps you become more aware of your eating habits and find out how you can improve on them.

6. Banish Trigger Foods

The most effective way to avoid eating unhealthy foods, especially on whim, is to avoid stacking them in your homes or office desks. Avoid going to the grocery store when you’re hungry or stressed out.

7. Control Your Portion

Learn how to eat small portions of food. Stick to one serving of food at a time and if possible, avoid buying foods that are packaged in multiple servings.

8. Seek Help

If you find it difficult to stop overeating on your own, consult a nutrition counselor who can help you find out what triggers your eating behaviors.

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