Emotional Eating: Snacking your way to love

There are people who eat to live and others who live to eat. Regardless, we can’t deny that food plays a big part in our lives. Our weight often betrays our emotional condition. When we’re sad or depressed, we either tend to eat more or loose our appetites altogether. When upset, we gravitate towards comfort foods like doughnuts, chocolates or fatty junk food. All these bad eating habits makes us put on more weight which leads to more junk eating, and so the vicious cycle continues.

Food comforts us

If you’re facing difficulties, love issues or stressed about anything, it’s easy to turn to food to fill the emotional void. If there is something unsaid in the relationship, if there are disappointments or frustrations, these can lead to somatization in the form of over eating. Weight gain is then psychosomatic just like migraines are.

The ravages of heartache

Heartache can trigger depression, especially in adolescence where it can seem like the worst thing that has happened to you. We then loose our appetites and this leads to dramatic weight loss of the ugly kind. Some people on the other hand deal with heartbreak by binge eating everything in sight. This makes them put on weight which then leads to low self esteem due to their new less than ideal body.

Fighting desires with food

Some people, especially teens, replace their sexual desires with food instead. They may be able to control their sexual urges, but this then leads to feelings of frustration which they placate with food. They imagine if they’re overweight, no one will want them which means they won’t have to fight off their sexual urges on a daily basis. These are often people who have been abused and victims of sexual assault who unconsciously try to make their bodies less desirable.

The weight of sexual frustration

Sex and food generate pleasure. It’s no secret that sexual fulfillment happens during weight loss while a hampered libido generates extra pounds. By depriving themselves of sexual pleasure, some have no other fun things to look forward to, and thus, food becomes their go to source of comfort and pleasure. Eating disorders often cause sexual problems. Women suffering from anorexia can’t seem to let go or enjoy the moment while those who are bulimic often have multiple partners, but get no pleasure from the relationship. Sexual desires that have been repressed usually manifest themselves as cravings at night, during bedtime.

Femininity and motherhood

It is common to see women shy away from sex after pregnancy and because they think their stretch marks and weight gain are unattractive to their husbands. They then seek solace and comfort in, what else but food. They think the image of a good mother is someone with big boobs and wide hips, while skinny girls are those who are only interested in sex and not fit for motherhood.

 If your man grows fat…

It’s not necessarily a sign that he is not happy. But it can be a warning to consider. Men put on weight after getting into a relationship because they feel like they have become a child again. Their wife or other half is like a mother to them. After the birth of children, the husband may also feel excluded and put on weight to get noticed. Overeating can also be a way to fight against depression. His wife may then experience a decrease in desire for him which may lead to further weight gain.

Passionate love, the best diet?

Yes! Love has a marked effect on weight. When we fall in love, we secrete neurotransmitters which are the same as those we get after a good meal. Love makes us less hungry, which means we loss weight. After the thrill of new love is over, we tend to put on those lost pounds quickly though…

Fabienne BROUCARET

Read more:

7 Ways to get rid of emotional kilos