The role of emotion in eating behavior

Abstract

Emotions may have a role in the choice, quality and quantity of food ingested, which may lead to an increase or decrease in body weight. The relationship between emotions and eating behavior is bidirectional and is dependent on the context, the variability of the emotion in terms of its valence, excitation and intensity, as well as physiological variability. Within the context of obesity, the concept of the “emotional eater” has been described as an individual who uses food as a dysfunctional mechanism to cope with negative emotions (anger, apathy, and frustrations, among others). These negative emotions would be more present in situations of high perceived stress, which would lead to an increase in the intake of so-called “comfort foods”, such as those high in sugars and fats. The presence of emotional eating would be more prevalent in women than in men; in obese people than in those with normal nutritional status and in contexts of food restriction. The latest research indicates that the way in which we regulate our emotions would allow us to control the quantity or quality of the food we eat and an effective strategy for food control.