Managing emotional eating

Abstract

AbstractThis article describes a group set up to help people manage ‘emotional eating’. An eating behaviour questionnaire, based on the symptoms of binge-eating disorder, was designed and used to identify people who eat in response to stress, anxiety or anger, but do not have a formal eating disorder.The group was found to improve participants’ emotional eating behaviours, as well as their depression, anxiety and self-esteem. The sessions covering how to recognise emotional states and improve communication, proved particularly popular.May 2012 | Volume 15 | Number 8MENTAL HEALTH PRACTICE