Are You Guilty Of Emotional Eating?

Emotional eating’ tends to fall into the category of shit-people-feel-pressured-to-stop-doing-to-be-fit. Food is engrained in most cultures. In India, many of us are fortunate enough to be able to use it to celebrate (and also commiserate.) Eating when we are feeling emotive is a very, very natural part of the way we live our lives today. Generally speaking, this is not a ‘condition’ we need to fix.⠀
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There’s this trend we are seeing lately preaching ‘Food is Fuel’. Whilst I mostly agree and I think it has good intentions, it can indirectly create guilt around eating for short-term enjoyment. Because sure, consuming food means we can survive. But we have taste buds and the food is bloody delicious. There is categorically nothing wrong with eating food because it brings us pleasure. (I’d say it’s more problematic if you’re eating food you hate)And when times get tough, there are far, far worse things you could do than use food as a temporary coping mechanism.⠀

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I think it’s also very relevant to say, of course, there are exceptions to this. Solely relying on food for happiness for a prolonged period of time, bingeing regularly to the point of discomfort and overwhelming feelings of being ‘out of control’ around food are not things to be brushed off. (These kinds of behaviours are best dealt with professional help.)⠀
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But ordering domino’s because you’ve had an exceptionally bad day at work or eating a tub of ice cream because you’re having a shitty break up can be a pretty wonderful tool (alongside other things) to have in your metaphorical feel-good toolbox. Which is a privilege not everyone gets.

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