Food has long ceased to be just a means of sustaining life. We find pleasure and comfort in it. Psychologist Judith Wurtman explained why we overeat.
“Now I really want to …” — this phrase can be supplemented as you like: “chocolate”, “something salty”, “spicy noodles”, “meat”, “burgers”. Recognizing your desires and voicing food preferences is, in general, not bad. Another thing is when we eat a negative mood in this way.
Boredom and its faithful companion — loneliness — provoke many of us to overeat during long evenings and weekends. Hiding from the rain in a restaurant, we willy-nilly order an appetizer or dessert, although we are not at all hungry. Long flights force us to eat dishes that we would not even look at on earth. And all because of boredom: eating time flies faster.
It happens that the hand itself reaches for food in response to stress, this is called emotional overeating. Against the background of experiences and anxiety, the amount of food consumed can increase significantly.
My friend’s house was being renovated. When she discovered that the new cabinets were too narrow to fit standard hangers, she didn’t immediately call the furniture makers. The first thing she did was go to the nearest candy store.
Anxiety, depression, PMS, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are common symptoms of overeating. Which, by the way, can last for years (in the case of undiagnosed or advanced PTSD) or happen monthly, for several days (for example, with PMS). Anxiety acts as a trigger for bulimia and provokes periodic bouts of overeating.
Often patients gain weight many years after getting rid of depression, that is, this is not associated with medication.
Sometimes excess weight does not appear immediately, but only a few years after bouts of overeating. It happens that obesity occurs already in adulthood, due to impulsive overeating in adolescence. According to the 1989 Nurses’ Health Study, women who were diagnosed with PTSD at a young age were much more likely to be obese in adulthood than those who did not suffer from a mental disorder.
Depression is another predictor of obesity. And in this case, excess weight may also not appear immediately. Often patients gain weight many years after getting rid of depression, that is, this is not directly related to taking antidepressants.
So far, scientists have not been able to figure out why obesity occurs several years after the diagnosis and treatment of depression and PTSD, when the disease has already been defeated. Did the patients have low physical activity due to stress-induced fatigue? Did they have bouts of bad mood between treatment and weight gain? Did they feel too tired to exercise? Did they eat whatever they wanted because there was too much negativity in their lives to deprive themselves of tasty treats and count calories?
These questions are yet to be answered. But it is important to monitor your psychological state so that excess weight is not added to the list of problems in the end.
About the author: Judith Jay Wurtman is a psychologist, founder of the Harvard University Clinic, and co-author of The Serotonin Diet.