Researchers found the main cause of emotional overeating and ways to overcome it.
Eating Fat Foods & Sweets While Stressed
Many of us have been faced with the urge to eat something fat ot sweet after a stressful situation. And now a new study has revealed why the craving for cakes arises in a depression. Experts from the University of Würzburg in Germany argue that under stress people feel the taste of fatty food differently. In their study, scientists invited a group of volunteers to try some creamy drinks, all of which contained different amounts of fat.
The Emotional Overeating Study
Before trying the desserts, participants were shown three different movies. The first depicted a happy scene, the second was neutral, and the third was sad. The neutral video did not have any impact on the volunteers and their taste sense. However, after watching the two other – more emotional – videos the participants were less able to distinguish between the drinks and found them all the same. The conclusion is that emotions have an impact on fatty foods perception.
How to Prevent Emotional Overeating
Eating without differentiation when the body actually requires something completely different, can affect the health and figure adversely. Thus, the researchers have developed key strategies to help overcome emotional overeating:
- let off steam and calm down before running to the fridge
- do not focus only on the food
- hide food out of reach.
- stop the addiction timely
