Q&A 3:
What Causes Us To Overeat?
Overeating is an extremely common problem that most everyone
has faced at some point in their relationship with food. We overeat
for an infinite number of different reasons that range from stress to
pleasure to prolonged nutrient deficiency. But there are also some
common patterns in overeating, and being aware of these patterns
can be helpful for taking steps in another direction.
Emotional Overeating
Our moods can definitely contribute to our risk of overeating.
Research studies in this area repeatedly show that negative moods re-
sult in greater risk of overeating. These negative moods can include
fear, sadness, anger, resentment, frustration, and stress. Sometimes
a diet can trigger a negative mood all by itself if the daily food plan
is too restrictive, or not enjoyable, or lacking in creativity. One of the
reasons I have confidence in the weight-lowering ability of the
World’s Healthiest Foods is the enjoyment we get from eating them!
With fresh, whole, natural foods and delicious recipes that are simple
to prepare, you are likely to lower your risk of a negative mood
triggered by diet alone. Of course, for other sources of negative
moods—like work problems, or relationship problems, or ongoing
stress—it’s important to start working out better lifestyle solutions
in these areas.
External Overeating
In a nutshell, external overeating means overeating as a result of too
much emphasis on food stimuli that are all around you. We live in a
culture that surrounds itself with food, not only in gas station food
marts and community gatherings but also in television commercials,
billboards, and advertising of every kind. The more wrapped up we
get in these cues, the more likely we are to overeat. In researchstud-
ies of external overeating, the presence of fast foods, convenience
Healthy Weight Loss Q & As