All too often, we eat for reasons other than satisfying hunger. Food becomes a “remedy” that we turn to when we feel depressed, bored, angry, anxious, lonely, stressed, tired, or powerless.

This is emotional eating, and it often leads to weight-related illness. It is a problem for many of us. Generally speaking, all of the people I train who have serious weight issues have difficulty managing food on account of stress and anxiety. Rarely do their weight problems have to do with a lack of awareness about which foods are good or bad; that knowledge is widespread.

Are you an emotional eater? One way to answer this question is to carry a food diary. When hunger pangs set in, note how you feel. Are you stressed, have you argued with the kids or your partner, is there too much to do at work? Analyze whether your hunger is real, or if it was aroused by an emotional feeling.

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One way to treat emotional eating is through cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which helps you identify and change unhealthy thought patterns. For more information on CBT, visit the Mayo Clinic and Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies sites. I will also have some exercises for overcoming emotional eating my upcoming book, Your Life Force.

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