Eating Emotions: How Emotional Eating Impacts Our Health and Choices

We've all been there. After a tough day, there’s an unmistakable allure to the cookie jar, the ice cream tub, the cookies made using that one gourmet recipe, or those crisps you stashed away for a 'just-in-case' moment. No one, not even the healthiest among us, can claim they've never used food as a balm for raw emotions. But have you ever paused to think about the degree or profound effects of such choices?

Foods Don’t Just Jump! 

Let's clear a common misconception. Foods don’t just spring into our mouths. They're chosen, consciously or subconsciously. Ironically, the majority of us, deep down, know what’s good for our health and what’s not. Yet, we often drift towards the 'not-so-great' choices. One key reason? Emotional eating.

The Cult of Foodie Culture 

Food isn't merely sustenance. It's an experience, a cultural touchstone, and even an identity for some. While food is undeniably an essential part of our lives, creating an entire identity and layers of subcultures around it transforms this necessity into a domain of pure experience, sidelining its fundamental function as nourishment. This connection is critical to establish because the experience and pleasure aspect of food evolved to support nourishment and sustenance, not the other way around.

Unpacking Emotional Eating 

So, what exactly is emotional eating? Emotional eating, especially compounded in social media circles and influencer lifestyles, refers to using food as a way to suppress or soothe negative emotions, such as stress, anger, fear, boredom, sadness, and loneliness. Major life events or, more commonly, the hassles of daily life can trigger negative emotions that lead to emotional eating. And, emotional eating can sabotage your weight-loss efforts, leading to unhealthy patterns and choices.

Diving Into the Research 

The pressing reality of emotional eating has been highlighted by several rigorous scientific studies. One such comprehensive study titled, "The Association of Emotional Eating with Overweight/Obesity, Depression, Anxiety/Stress, and Dietary Patterns," meticulously analyzed the relationships between emotional eating and its consequential health effects. The findings shed light on the undeniable fact that emotional eating is closely tied to obesity, depression, and certain unhealthy dietary patterns. The study also underscored the realization that our mental well-being is intrinsically linked to our eating habits.

Another intriguing study, "Emotional eating among adults with healthy weight, overweight, and obesity," took a deeper dive to investigate the prevalence of emotional eating across different body mass indexes. Its conclusions were noteworthy. The study discovered that adults living with obesity had a significantly heightened degree of emotional eating compared to those with a healthy BMI. This suggests that as weight increases, the propensity for emotional eating escalates, underscoring the cyclical nature of weight gain and emotional eating.

Treading Forward 

This begs the question: How can we form a healthier relationship with food? At KG Food Company, our motto "Energize, Explore, Enjoy" encapsulates our belief. We advocate viewing food, such as our popular Energy Pods, as a means to fuel our life’s adventures. Let's shift from treating food as an emotional crutch and start treating it as the delightful, delicious, and nutritious energy source it truly is.

It’s time for a revolution in how we perceive and interact with food. Rather than a fleeting comfort, let's embrace food as the cornerstone of a vibrant, active, and fulfilling life. Together, we can make choices that not only satisfy our taste buds but also ensure a healthier and happier future.