Why do I overeat?

Almost everyone overeats at times. When we use the term overeating it means eating more than is needed for our body or more than is usual for us. However, this is subjective as our appetite fluctuates for many different reasons. 

Food plays such an important part in many cultures that most of us will be able to relate to ourselves or others using food for more than simply fuelling our body. 

While occasional overeating is common and unlikely to have a lasting effect on our body, frequent overeating can be a problem depending on the type of food we are overeating. That’s why it’s important to consider how often we overeat and the situations that trigger it. 

Overeating triggers

While most people may overeat during celebrations or social gatherings, certain triggers can result in frequent overeating. These include: 

Not paying attention

Not paying attention while we eat, also known as mindless eating, can lead us to eat more than we intended. Common examples of multitasking whilst eating include watching TV,  driving or checking emails. We can often end up feeling less satisfied and wanting more.  

Habits

When we repeat behaviours over time they develop into habits. They can also become tangled in particular feelings. 

For example, if when you arrive home at the end of a busy and stressful day at work, you turn on the TV and sit on the sofa with your favourite food, eating becomes a strategy to relax. Another example is eating a big box of popcorn when you go to the cinema. In both examples, if you don’t add the food element, the experience doesn’t feel as good. 

Over time, the association between eating and certain circumstances can mean that those circumstances alone make us feel hungry. This is because our brain accesses memories about the last time we were faced with the same situation and our body then responds. 

Emotions

Our emotions can trigger overeating, as food is often used to manage our mood. Food can help us to distract ourselves from uncomfortable emotions such as sadness, soothe ourselves if we’re feeling overstimulated when anxious or stressed, stimulate ourselves when bored, or as described above, be used to help us relax. Often people refer to this as ‘comfort eating’ but food serves many different types of functions and so it is more accurate to describe it as emotional eating. 

Emotional eating is a complex habit which involves not only our psychology but also our body. Certain foods can produce a temporary neurochemical change that alters our mood by activating the reward centre of our brain. When we eat this food we feel a temporary lift or boost but this is then followed by a dip in energy and mood, and may lead to self-critical thoughts about eating. 

Whilst we may all emotionally eat occasionally, the frequency and the amount of food will determine if this is problematic. 

Hunger 

We have many different regulatory systems that help to keep things in balance. Hunger signals are an example of this. If we eat in an erratic way such as skipping meals or unintentionally leaving very long gaps between meals, our body prompts us to eat. These signals can become increasingly more intense until we feel ravenous. When we do finally eat, we’re much more likely to eat fast and to overeat. 

Poor sleep

Sleep supports many of our body systems. When sleep is disturbed or if we’re not getting enough good-quality sleep, our body produces a stress hormone called cortisol. Cortisol can increase our appetite, leading to a drive to eat and often overeat.

Medication 

Certain types of medication, for some people, can increase appetite and trigger overeating. Certain antidepressants (eg tricyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and some antiepileptic medications, as well as corticosteroids, can change our appetite. This does not mean we should stop taking them, but it is useful to discuss possible changes in appetite with a GP as there are other alternative medications. 

Binge eating vs overeating

We may use the term ‘binge’ to refer to our eating but clinically, a binge is defined by eating a larger amount of food than usual, over a short period of time (ie within two hours), while typically feeling out of control. We can consciously eat in this way or we may feel disconnected while binge eating and only realise how much we’ve eaten when we feel uncomfortably full.

The frequency this occurs will determine whether this habit becomes a binge eating disorder. Although less well known, binge eating disorder is the most common eating disorder in the UK.

Unlike overeating, which usually occurs in the presence of others and/or in settings where we usually eat, binge eating is most often done alone and in private spaces where other people are unlikely to notice. This is because binge eating often triggers negative feelings, such as shame. 

Binge eating disorder is very effectively treated by psychologists. 

Overeating and hunger

Research suggests that there are nine different types of hunger, all of which can trigger overeating individually or in combination. Hunger is not just in our mind or body; it’s caused by a number of factors interacting together. 

Stomach hunger and cellular hunger

Stomach hunger is driven by hormones in our gut, while cellular hunger is driven by the nutritional needs of our cells (eg water, salt, potassium, iron, zinc, protein, vitamins, minerals, calcium, magnesium and omega-3 fatty acids). 

Both stomach hunger and cellular hunger gradually increase over time, becoming stronger the longer we go without food. More often than not, frequent overeating isn’t triggered by these types of physical hunger but by other types that have a more rapid onset. 

Ear hunger 

This is triggered by sounds we associate with food being eaten (eg the rustling of a packet of crisps or the sizzle of bacon frying), as well as hearing words that describe food (eg savoury, sweet, moist, rich or creamy).

Eye hunger 

This occurs when we see food, triggering our brain to activate anticipatory senses such as salivating, which can override signals from our stomach and body that we’re full. For example, you might not have been planning to have a dessert but change your mind once you see what’s on offer. 

Heart hunger 

This is triggered by moods and emotions that are associated with foods based on memories or experiences. For example, food that we associate with feeling safe and being taken care of as a child. 

Mind hunger 

This happens when we have thoughts about particular foods that we consider to be good or bad. Our experience of repeated dieting will influence this, as well as the views of others. 

For example, if you’ve had a hard day and think you deserve a reward, you’re more likely to eat chocolate or crisps because you think it will make you feel better and because you may usually restrict this type of food, making it even more appealing. 

Mouth hunger 

This is based on craving particular tastes, flavours and textures in our mouth, and can be influenced by our genetics as well as our family food habits.

Nose hunger 

This is similar to eye hunger but triggered by the smell of food, eg freshly baked bread. Supermarkets are very good at tapping into this type of hunger. 

Touch hunger 

This is triggered by the sensation of textures against our tongue and lips. 

How to manage emotional triggers for overeating 

If you find yourself overeating, an important first step is to think about what’s going on emotionally when you develop a sudden craving for food. 

If you can identify the patterns that lead to overeating, you can think about other ways to meet the need that you’ve been addressing with food. 

Can you slow down and think before responding to a food craving? By doing this, you can start to unpick what is triggering your overeating. This takes practice, so don’t expect to know every time.  

You may start to notice patterns regarding your overeating, for example: 

• There’s nothing on the TV you want to watch and so you’re feeling bored
• Your children have gone to bed and you have a chance to relax and enjoy some 'me time'
• Your plans change and you have unexpected time to yourself, which may leave you feeling unsettled or lonely
• You're feeling frustrated with someone but don’t feel able to tell them, which may leave you feeling agitated or helpless

It can also help to think about your self-care. Are you doing enough to take care of your emotional and physical self? Are you too busy looking after everyone else? 

Finding time for self-care doesn't have to take up large parts of your day; micro-moments of self-care throughout the day can make a big difference. 

For example, try taking a deep breath and dropping your shoulders before going into a meeting, or spending an extra 30 seconds in the shower to enjoy the sensation of the water on your body, or going to bed a little earlier.

Managing your weight and overeating

When we struggle with our weight, stigma makes it even harder. Weight stigma is prejudice from those around us, as well as wider society, which often includes assumptions that if we live with being overweight or obese, it’s because we are lazy, greedy or lack willpower. This is not the case. 

Nor is it true that if we just eat a little less and exercise a bit more, we will lose weight. Obesity is a complex condition which is significantly influenced by what is happening within our body. 

Weight stigma and the negative messages associated with it can easily be internalised, making us feel ashamed and knocking our self-esteem. This makes it even harder to manage our weight and combat overeating. 

While it’s important to follow a healthy, balanced diet and engage in regular exercise when dealing with overeating, it’s equally as important to look at the bigger picture. 

Here are 11 factors to think about when managing your weight and overeating: 

1. Map out when overeating is happening in your daily life and introduce a balanced, planned snack at that time
2. Reduce the distractions around you when eating. Pause the TV until you have finished eating
3. Consider what else you might need at moments when you feel the urge to overeat
4. Take notice of whether you’re skipping meals and if so, try to eat more regularly 
5. Consider your self-care and whether there are changes you need to make
6. Consider your stress levels and what you can influence to reduce your stress
7. Consider whether you’re getting enough good-quality sleep and make changes to improve this if needed 
8. Consider your activity levels. If you’re hungrier on days when you exercise, think about foods you can eat that will help you feel more satisfied
9. If you think your medication is affecting your appetite, speak to your GP
10. Consider whether you would benefit from support for your emotional health and if so, speak to your GP or seek psychological support 
11. Ask for advice from healthcare professionals who specialise in weight management (eg psychologists and dietitians). They can help you understand the various triggers for overeating

You may need medication or surgery to help with managing your weight. Suitability for these interventions will be based on your weight and any other weight-related health conditions. Speak to your GP about this or contact a specialist to ask for more information.