Emotional eating is a challenge faced by millions of people. When facing daily stressors such as anger, pain, loneliness and anxiety, their coping mechanism is to turn to food for comfort.

Emotional eaters often turn to foods like ice cream, potato chips, cheeseburgers or fried chicken. When they eat some of these fattening and delicious foods, they feel a sense of calmness.

It is a scientific fact that certain foods can help lift people's moods. Emotional eaters seek food for the effect it has on their brains, similar to an alcoholic taking a drink.

Are you an emotional eater? If so, you are probably familiar with the problems emotional eating can create, including weight gain, depression and shame. You probably find that you often overeat, and that can be a hidden behavior.

But what can you do about this problem? After all, it has become your main coping mechanism. Below are a few tips for dealing with emotional eating.

1) Stick to three balanced meals a day with one snack, in an effort to redefine your relationship with food.

Emotional eating can be such a part of your routine that you do it without even thinking about it. Try to reign in this behavior by first making some adjustments to your food schedule.

Make a commitment to eat three balanced meals a day, and allow one afternoon snack. If necessary, see a nutritionist, as they can help you create a meal plan. It may not be easy at first, but try to get through each day by sticking to your food plan.

Remove trigger foods from your cabinets. Weigh and measure food portions if necessary. Your goal is to start thinking of food as fuel for your body, but not as a comforting presence in your life. Remember that overeating really leads to misery.

2) Find a therapist who specializes in eating issues.

Eating issues are incredibly common. Since it is your emotions that are driving you to seek more food than you should have, then you need to learn to better manage them.

Start seeing a qualified therapist who can help you sort through your emotional issues. It's important to start identifying where you struggle. At least, you will then have an awareness of the real problem at hand.

3) Develop healthier coping mechanisms.

Since your emotional eating has served you as a coping mechanism for many years, you will need to find a healthier substitute. Take up knitting or jogging. Join a book club. Start your own garden. Write in a journal each evening.

Talk to your therapist about better ways to cope, and how to get started. All people need coping mechanisms of some sort. Your goal is just to find one that will not harm you or your self-esteem.

4) Consider joining a 12-step group.

Did you know that Overeaters' Anonymous is a 12-step program that addresses various eating issues, including emotional eating? If you are interested in getting support for your problem, this program is an outstanding one.

Through a support group and plan of action such as this one, you can share with others and build friendships with others who understand your problem. Better yet, you can hear their stories of hope and recovery from emotional eating.

Learn more about this author, Ann E. Smith.
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