Emotional Eating: How Holiday Stress Trigger Problems

Many people use eating as a way to cope with difficult emotions, not only bad ones, but also happiness, excitement and celebration, for example,” says Alexis Conason, a clinical psychologist in private practice and a researcher at New York Obesity Research Center…Researchers believe that many emotional eaters turn to food to numb emotions that are too painful or difficult to process. As Conason explains, it can be a mindless cycle in which an emotional eater suddenly finds himself in front of the fridge, not quite knowing how he got there… Conason also recommends practicing kindness to oneself, especially in the aftermath of an overindulgence. “Trying to find acceptance can be challenging, especially in a society that condemns us for having eaten this way; especially if our bodies don’t look the way society says they should. But it’s important not beat ourselves up over it. If this happens, try to learn from it. Don’t shame yourself.

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