Emotional eating: what it is, what causes it and how to curb it

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Do you ever eat because of an emotion, rather than physical hunger? That's emotional eating. Learn more about this common eating habit.

We all deal with emotions in different ways. For some of us, raiding the snack cupboard – to cope with stress, perhaps, or boredom – is a hard habit to shake.

Habits like this might be a sign of what many experts call 'emotional eating'. In other words, eating to satisfy our emotions, not our physical hunger.

Let's learn a little more about emotional eating: what it is, what causes it and what steps you can take to stop it.

What is emotional eating?

The simplest definition of emotional eating is 'eating because of a feeling, not because of real hunger'.

That feeling could be stress, anger, anxiety, sadness or even boredom. Some people emotionally eat in response to happy emotions, too, such as happiness, excitement and love.

The key thing is that we're not emotionally eating because we're hungry. Our bodies aren't telling us we need energy from food. We're eating the food because it makes us feel good, often because it helps soothe negative emotions or bolster positive ones.

Studies have linked emotional eating to weight gain,¹ an increase in BMI (body fat percentage)² and poorer weight loss outcomes.³ It has also been associated with depression.²

What causes emotional eating?

It's different for everyone.

For some, emotional eating is only triggered occasionally – for instance, by stressful life events like bereavements, divorce or losing a job. Or by positive events, such as receiving good news or winning a promotion at work.

For others, emotional eating can become a habit and a coping mechanism. This habitual emotional eating can be particularly problematic, as it can quickly become a vicious cycle.

When is emotional eating a problem?

It's not unusual for people to use food as a reward or as a source of comfort when things go wrong. However, emotional eating can be a problem when:

We eat more calories than we need, which can lead to weight gain.
We rely on eating to distract us from difficult emotions or problems in our lives, rather than dealing with those emotions or problems directly.
We enter into a vicious cycle of eating, feeling guilty about eating, and then eating more as a way to cope with that guilt.

The emotional eating cycle

When we let emotions guide our eating, it can quickly become a habit – and that habit can become a cycle. In other words, emotional eating stirs up negative emotions and triggers more emotional eating as a way to cope with those emotions.

The cycle usually looks something like this:

We feel an emotion, such as boredom, sadness or anxiety.
The emotion triggers the desire to eat.
We eat, and we feel better for a little while.
We start to feel guilt or shame about emotional eating.
These feelings make us eat more.

This kind of cycle is problematic because it makes it more likely we'll eat more than we need. If we don't break the cycle, it can cause weight gain and lead to weight-related health problems.

Emotional eating vs binge eating

It's important to note that emotional eating isn't a diagnosis. There's no disorder called 'emotional eating'. Rather, it's a useful way for dietitians, psychologists and other professionals to classify and talk about certain patterns of behaviour.

This is different from binge eating. Binge eating is a recognised eating disorder in the UK. The NHS describes it as a 'serious mental health condition', which involves 'regularly eating a lot of food over a short period of time until you're uncomfortably full'.⁴

Here's a quick look at the differences.

Emotional eating	Binge eating disorder⁴
Describes a pattern of behaviour, not a health condition	Is a recognised eating disorder and mental health condition in the UK
Involves eating because of emotions, not hunger	Involves eating much more food than we need in a short space of time
Doesn't always involve a change in how we eat	People with the condition often eat very quickly and hide their binge eating from others

But while they're different things, emotional eating and binge eating disorder are sometimes linked.

In one 2009 study, people who reported more emotional eating also showed more frequent and more severe binge-eating symptoms.⁵ This suggests that eating in response to negative emotions is closely linked to episodes of binge eating.

How to curb emotional eating

There's no one way to curb emotional eating. What works well for one person won't work for everyone.

Picture of someone holding their stomach because they are hungry.

That said, there are a few techniques you can try that have worked for others. Most of these techniques focus on recognising the differences between physical hunger and emotional hunger.

Physical hunger	Emotional hunger
Triggered by the body needing energy from food	Triggered by emotions
Comes on gradually and doesn't need immediate attention	Comes on suddenly and feels urgent
Can be satisfied by any food	Makes you crave certain comfort foods
Goes away when you're full	Sticks around, even after eating

This isn't always quick or simple – it often takes time and patience to get it right. In essence, you need to train your brain to spot emotional hunger when it strikes and respond appropriately.

Techniques include:

Pausing and reflecting: before you eat, get into the habit of asking yourself why. Are you eating because you're hungry, or are you eating because you're feeling a certain way, or want to feel a certain way?
Mindful eating: this takes the 'pausing and reflecting' method a few steps further. It involves using techniques from meditation to help build a more positive relationship with food.
Redirection: think about what other activities make you feel happy or bring you comfort, aside from food. Make a list. Now, next time you feel an emotional eating trigger, try to engage in one of those activities instead.

Don't be too hard on yourself

Remember: while emotional eating can be a negative habit, eating because of emotions isn't always a bad thing.

If you've identified an issue with your behaviour, you should be proud that you're looking for a way to change that and improve your health. But don't beat yourself up for treating yourself to a takeaway or chocolate bar every now and then.

The important thing is that treats like these still feel like treats – you enjoy them from time to time, in moderation. As long as you don't let them become a habit or a coping mechanism, they can be part of a successful weight loss journey.

Semapen's expert-led weight loss programmes harness the latest, clinically proven treatments alongside tailored specialist support. You can download the Semapen app today and complete our simple digital consultation to find out instantly if you're eligible.

Sources

1. Koenders, P.G. & van Strien, T. (2011) "Emotional Eating, Rather Than Lifestyle Behavior, Drives Weight Gain in a Prospective Study in 1562 Employees" Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 53(11) https://doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0b013e31823078a2

2. Hanna, K. et al. (2010) "Emotional eating and physical activity self-efficacy as pathways in the association between depressive symptoms and adiposity indicators" The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 92(5) https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.2010.29732

3. Canetti, L. et al. (2008) "Psychosocial predictors of weight loss and psychological adjustment following bariatric surgery and a weight-loss program: The mediating role of emotional eating" International Journal of Eating Disorders, 42(2)
https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.20592

4. NHS (2023) Overview - Binge eating disorder. Retrieved from https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/binge-eating/overview/

5. Ricca, V. et al. (2009) "Correlations between binge eating and emotional eating in a sample of overweight subjects" Appetite, 53(3) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2009.07.008

This article was reviewed and approved by Lujain Alhassan, Bariatric Nutritionist, on 28 February 2026.