Eating is so much more than just refueling our bodies. When what and how much a person eats is partially based on social, psychological and cultural factors. Deeply held thoughts and beliefs about food and body weight have a major influence on what we eat, when and how much. In fact, a recent paper published by the Institute of Food Science and Technology suggests that MOST eating in relatively affluent countries is NOT motivated by hunger but by psychological and environmental factors, many of which we aren’t aware of.
As the Institute of Food Science and Technology points out, many factors other than raw hunger and the effects of appetite hormones drive people to eat – and overeat. As the authors point out, the majority of people munch not because they’re hungry but because they’re dining with people who are also eating, because they’re anxious or bored or simply because food is readily available. How much less obesity would there be if people only ate when they were hungry?
How people think about food and diet can influence body weight too. In one study carried out in Canada, researchers asked a group of obese people whether diet, exercise or genetics is the main cause of obesity. The majority of the participants believed bad dietary habits and lack of exercise, not genetics, were the driving force behind obesity. When they offered each participant unlimited amounts of chocolate, those who blamed obesity on a poor diet ate fewer chocolates than those who attributed being overweight to sitting on the couch too much. This suggests how people think about diet and its influence on body weight unconsciously and influences eating habits.
Mindless Eating and Emotional Eating
A lot of unconscious eating goes on outside of our direct awareness. This kind of eating falls into two main categories: mindless eating and emotional eating. Emotional eating is the unconscious attempt to ease stress by consuming food, usually “comfort” foods. Research in women with bulimia shows portions of the brain associated with reward “light up” when they’re feeling down or stress out and think about drinking a milkshake. No doubt stress and negative feelings motivate people to overeat and eat the wrong things. They interpret the desire to eat as “hunger,” when what they’re really “feeding” are emotions. It’s challenging to recognize emotional hunger, much less correct it. Stress increases the release of hormones like cortisol that trigger cravings.
There’s also the issue of mindless eating. Cornell Food and Brand Lab looked at subtle factors that trigger mindless eating, factors that many of us aren’t aware of. As they point out, subtle influences like social settings, how much everyone else is eating, the lighting in a room and even the size and color of bowls and plates impacts how much people eat. Have you ever dined at a restaurant with friends and found yourself eating more than you planned?
One study showed college students ate fewer cookies when their friends ate none than when their buddies snacked on cookies too. What your friends eat has an impact that goes beyond a single meal. In the study, college students who witnessed their friends not eating cookies showed more restraint for hours afterward. People tend to mirror the eating habits of their dining companions, so choose healthy friends!
Mindless eating can also be a problem when no one’s around. People tend to eat more when they eat in front of the television or computer, probably due to the distraction factor. One study showed people eat less when they focus on what they’re eating and nothing else. Plus, they consume less food later in the day when they don’t eat when distracted. The message here is slow down the pace of your meals and focus on what you’re eating and nothing else. Don’t turn your computer station into a lunch or dinner table.
Get Back in Touch with Hunger Signals
To conquer mindless, emotional and distracted eating, get back into sync with your hunger signals and learn to distinguish between the urges, food cravings, and true hunger. It all starts with awareness. BEFORE eating something unplanned, ask yourself if you’re really hungry. Then think of a food you don’t like. Are you hungry enough to eat that food now? If you’re truly hungry, the answer is yes. If not, you’re dealing with “false hunger.” It may take time to learn to distinguish between true and false hunger if you’re used to eating mindlessly.
Other tips for conquering MED (mindless, emotional, distracted eating):
Slow down the pace of your meals. It takes 20 minutes for satiety signals to kick in. The slower you eat during those 20 minutes, the less likely you are to overeat.
Don’t keep snacks within easy reach. Make yourself do some work to get a snack. This gives you time to assess your hunger level.
Write down everything you eat for 14 days along with your level of hunger on a scale of 1 to 5. Write down what your emotional state was at the time – stressed, anxious, bored, etc.
Have alternatives to eating – deep breathing, meditation, sip a cup of tea, take a hot bath, read, call a friend, etc.
Get enough sleep – lack of sleep increases cravings for the wrong foods.
The Bottom Line
Most eating isn’t motivated by hunger. Keep that in mind before reaching for an unplanned snack. You may be motivated by emotional needs, social influences or boredom rather than hunger. Learn to recognize true hunger cues.
References:
Cleveland Clinic. “The Psychology of Eating”
Association for Psychological Science. “Beliefs About Causes of Obesity May Impact Weight, Eating Behavior”
Cornell Food and Brand Lab. “Beat Mindless Eating”
Psychology Today. “Is Your Brain Wired to Make You Crave Food When Sad?” April 2012.
Food Navigator. “Most Eating is Psychologically Motivated, says IFST” (December 2014)
Psychology Today. “How Your Friends’ Food Choices Affect Your Own Eating” (August 2012)
Harvard Health Publications. “Distracted eating may add to weight gain” (March 2013)
Related Articles By Cathe:
Reasons You’re Not Full after a Meal
5 Ways to Curb Mindless Overeating
Two Types of Hunger, One of Which Can Make You Fat
5 Ways to Naturally Curb Your Appetite That Are Backed by Science
Can Consuming More Dietary Micronutrients Curb Hunger?
Add This to Your Next Meal & You Might Make Healthier Food Choices