Overeating is a disorder that can happen to anyone but is most common in people with binge eating problems. They might feel hungry and then overeat, leading to extreme cravings.
Sometimes people may emotionally eat in order to fill avoid.
Additionally, you may not be able to stop eating if you are nutrient deficient or if your body feels it is in starvation or survival mode.
If you think you might be struggling, get help to get back on track with your eating habits.
Compulsive Overeating
Compulsive overeating is a disorder marked by out-of-control eating habits. If you suffer from this disorder, you likely eat large amounts of high-calorie foods, often to the point of feeling uncomfortably full.
If this sounds like you, it is crucial to seek help as soon as possible because this disorder can lead to serious health problems such as diabetes and heart disease.
There are many reasons people may compulsively overeat, and the American Psychiatric Association classifies the disorder as an eating disorder.
Understanding why we do what we do can help us understand how to stop and get better. There are many different reasons people may compulsively overeat:
What Triggers It?
Depression – If you feel depressed or unhappy, it can be challenging to motivate yourself to take care of yourself and eat healthy foods that make you feel better. When one is depressed, they turn to comfort foods such as ice cream or other high-calorie food because they make you feel good at the moment but only temporarily. This is one-way depression can lead to compulsive overeating.
Anxiety – Anxiety is a prevalent mental health problem that impacts many people every day. Sometimes anxiety can result in compulsive eating because eating high-calorie foods can give us a sense of relief from our anxiety symptoms. The problem with this form of relief is that it’s temporary and often leads to more anxiety symptoms later on when the effects wear off.
Boredom – Sometimes people compulsively overeat when they are bored or have nothing else going on in their lives outside of work or school. This lack of stimulation may cause them to turn toward food for comfort, which then turns into an addiction over time if they don’t seek help for their boredom problem first! It’s essential to focus on your emotional state and your physical state when dealing with compulsive overeating.
Restriction – Constant over restriction to certain foods can cause a person to feel extreme cravings. If a person is restricting so much it will push their body into starvation mode. In response, it will cause their body to overeat until they get the proper nutrients.
Can People Get Addicted to Food?
People can get addicted to food, although it is not well understood. The addictive properties of food are not fully understood, but it is well known that some people have compulsive overeating habits, which may be an addictive disorder.
The distinction between compulsive overeating and addiction to food is lack of compulsive overeater has a lack of control over their behavior when they are in proximity to food. They will often experience cravings when they are in the presence of certain foods.
How to Stop It?
The word “compulsive” is derived from the Latin word compulsus, meaning to drive or compel. Compulsive overeating is a recurrent pattern of eating food to the point of discomfort, regardless of nutritional need. This pattern can lead to obesity and other serious health problems.
There are a variety of ways to deal with compulsive overeating. The first step is to identify what’s triggering it. If you’re bored, sad, or stressed, you should take some time to relax or exercise. If it’s boredom that’s causing the problem, try finding more productive things to do with your time.
You can also try not to bring unhealthy foods into your home in the first place. For example, if cookies are sitting on a countertop or in a pantry all day long tempting you every time you walk by, then get rid of them!
Don’t keep junk food in your house at all times because it will end up being eaten and cause problems with weight gain and other health issues.
It’s also important not to eat out of boredom or stress when there are plenty of other options for coping with these feelings, such as exercising or even talking with someone about how they’re feeling.
This way, you won’t have to resort to eating unhealthy foods every time you feel this way because healthier alternatives will be available for coping mechanisms.
Get Help
The first step in seeking professional help to stop compulsive overeating is to make sure that it is an eating disorder.
The DSM-V (diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders) defines eating disorders as “disorders of eating, with significant weight loss or weight gain, due to disturbances in how an individual deal with food.”
It is vital to find a therapist who specializes in eating disorders. The therapist should diagnose you and help you develop a treatment plan. If the professional determines that you do not have an eating disorder, they will suggest other resources for your problem.
Take a Break While Eating
The best way to combat compulsive overeating is to start by taking breaks in between meals. This will help to give your body time to digest and prevent you from just continuing to eat because it’s there. Next, try to switch up the types of food that you eat so that your body isn’t getting bored.
Also, keep track of how much you’re eating and what kinds of food so that if you notice a pattern, it will be easier to change up your routine. Finally, take care of yourself by surrounding yourself with friends who enjoy being active with you instead of those who are always trying to convince you to eat more. We all deserve a healthy life!
Change in Environment
Changing your environment to stop compulsive overeating is one of the best ways to get started. Begin by removing all tempting foods or that you know for sure will lead to overeating. This includes anything from your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer to any snacks in your home.
If you have a designated area for eating, move it outside of your home so that the temptation isn’t so close by.
Create an eating plan with specific times of day where you can eat so that it’s easier for your body to know when it should feel hungry and when it should feel full.
Talk with a doctor about providing medication if necessary, but don’t let them talk you into weight loss surgery because there are safer ways that don’t come with the adverse side effects that this option does.
If dieting has helped in the past but doesn’t seem like something you could do again, try eating six small meals throughout the day instead of three larger ones.
This will help keep hunger under control while preventing blood sugar highs and lows, making foods easier for people trying not to overeat.
Final Thoughts
Do you find yourself overeating and not even noticing it? Do you think about food all the time and find yourself eating even when you’re not hungry? Do you feel like you could never be satisfied with how much food is on your plate?
These are indications that you may be suffering from compulsive overeating. Speak to your doctor or a specialist before the situation gets out of hand.
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