Emotional Eating

• More than one definition exists, e.g.“consumption of highly palatable foods inresponse to emotional states”, “eating inresponse to negative emotions”.

• Sometimes food is eaten outside of physical hunger e.g. for emotional reasons. Concern arises when this coping mechanism has asignificant impact on an individual.

• Many mechanisms suggested in the context ofobesity: psychological (e.g. reward sensitivity,impulsiveness) and mental health patterns (e.g.coping with stress, trauma).