Why People Overeat

We live in a food culture of “super-sized”, “over-stu7ed”, “mega-sized”, “all you can eat”
and doubles of everything. Dinner plates today look more like platters compared to dinner
plates 20 years ago. Food provides fuel to the body when we’re hungry. As humans, we
include food in celebrations, social gatherings, entertainment, and comfort during di7icult
times. There is nothing wrong with including food in these life events. It’s when we overeat
that is challenging. Eating more than your body needs. We overeat when we use food for
comfort instead of meeting our emotional needs in healthy ways.

Early Messages About Eating

  • Eat everything on your plate. Being in the “clean plate club”. A child in a growth spurt
    may want to eat anything not nailed down! When not in a growth spurt, they may be
    less hungry. That’s normal, provided they aren’t filling up on snacks all day. Parents
    and caregivers, concerned a child isn’t eating enough, may encourage eating more.
  • “Food is comfort”. Upset children get a cookie, candy, or other snack, to calm and
    distract them. Food has been an emotional comfort since day one. Generally, it
    works for about 20mins. It doesn’t really address the issues for which they we’re
    upset. It only serves to distract them. Over time, food becomes the the entertainer,
    comforter, happy alternative, to fill an empty or uncomfortable place within us. It’s a
    place food cannot really fill.

Why people overeat

  • Mindless eating – You’re eating an amazing dish at home or a restaurant and after
    the first few bites, you’re talking with others, watching TV, reading, on social media.
    They distract from noticing your stomach’s signals.
  • Those BLT’s when cooking – Bites, licks and tastes. By the time the meal is ready,
    you’re not very hungry and you eat anyway.
  • Caving to the pressure from others to eat second and third helpings. My mother-inlaw was famous for passing around the serving dishes until all of them were empty.
  • Cleaning up the leftovers on your kids’ plates.

Pay attention to your hunger signals

  • Eat mindfully. Practice paying attention to how your stomach feels before, during
    and after you eat. Enjoy your food with your senses, it increases satisfaction.
  • Use a 0 – 10 hunger scale:
    • 0-1 Starving! Waited too long.
    • 2-3 Good and hungry, eat!
    • 4 Not very hungry; wait.
    • 5 – 6 Satisfied – No longer hungry. There’s No sensation in your stomach.
    • 7 Full, feel some pressure in your stomach. It’s beginning to stretch.
    • 8-10 Overly full – uncomfortable. Feel sick.
  • Why you’re eating? Body hunger or emotions.
  • Hydration: Thirst often begins with the sensation of hunger. Drink some water, notice
    if you feel better.
  • Portions. The stomach’s normal size is the size of your fist. The stomach can stretch
    up to 5x its size from overeating. A portion of ice cream is 1/2cup, steak is size and
    thickness of your palm. Use a smaller plate at meals.

Making these changes can be really challenging. Reach out for support from a behavioral
health professional. Guided imagery and hypnosis are evidence-based, e7ective therapies
that can help you make lasting, positive changes.