Emotional eating is a problem that more of us deal with than we realise. It can be relatively harmless (eating a chocolate bar to cheer ourselves up after a bad day at work), or it can cause serious problems for the sufferer and lead to years of torment.

There are many causes of emotional eating. Some people are just prone to it, whereas for others it may have a deeper root. Perhaps your mother frequently gave you food when you were upset to cheer you up, or withheld it from you when you misbehaved. A parent's attitude towards food in childhood can shape how their child treats food later in life.

Sometimes, identifying the cause can help to solve the problem. If you recognise that you use food as a comfort when you feel lonely, you can take steps to change this; for example, calling a friend instead. You can also remind yourself that it is not hunger you are feeling, but an emotion which needs to be dealt with.

Identifying your triggers is an important step towards dealing with emotional eating. One way of doing this is by keeping a diary. Carry it around with you, and when you feel yourself reaching for food as a comfort, make a note. Record the time of day, food you're craving and circumstances surrounding the craving. For example: 1st March, 6:30 pm. Potato chips. Just got home from work - boss yelled at me. This helps you to recognise why you are eating. In this case, it is because you are upset about an incident which occurred at work.

The diary might also help you to recognise times of day when you are most likely to binge. Feeling tired after coming home from work might be a trigger. If this is the case, perhaps a short walk to clear your head might help, or a shower. Eating a carbohydrate-rich lunch, such as pasta, might help to prevent this slump too.

If you are aiming to lose weight, restrict your weigh-ins to once a week and try to work towards a healthier lifestyle, rather than obsessing about losing a few pounds. Work out a plan which will be easy to stick to long-term - this means no crash diets! Aim for healthier food choices and gentle exercise instead.

If possible, stock only healthy foods in your kitchen. Your food diary might help you to identify particular foods which you binge on the most. Avoid buying these, and find healthier replacements for them. That way you will be less tempted to comfort eat. And if you do, at least the food will be healthy.

Come up with an action plan for getting through tough moments. Work

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