by Ted Sherman

Created on: August 01, 2007

If you get really, really emotional into eating, it can be very serious. Yetch! All those tear drops flowing on your fifth slice of pepperoni pizza can make it all soggy, salty and unappetizing.

Seriously, uncontrolled emotional eating in excess is a psychological condition, especially if it is affecting your weight. The best advice is to seek professional help. Many people are too ashamed to take that necessary step, and go on to further mental and physical damage. America's tradition of overeating is usually treated as a joke, emphasized by derogatory humor about the person, and glorified by stand-up comedians and late-night hosts.

Jay Leno, who isn't exactly a slim example of healthy eating, has a fat joke almost every night. One of his most frequent phrases is, "Just how fat are our kids now..." and follows up with a punch line or quote for a news statistic about obese children who have trouble with compulsive and emotional overeating.

He also leads the joke assaults against such overweight public figures as Michael Moore and Kirsty Alley. Of course, all of this is intended as good clean fun, especially when it comes from the friendly-natured Leno, but that doesn't do anything to help the person with the problem. It too often makes the shame and isolation much worse.

For those in trouble who go for medical help, the solution is usually worked out by setting up a self-control routine where overeating is eliminated or gradually reduced. Most intelligent people who have the problem know exactly what is causing their condition. The professional's role is to help them accept their problem and to guide them away from it.

It sounds simple, of course, but it is usually a very complicated situation where only outside ... professional ... help can solve it. For others who try to solve the problem themselves, it is terribly difficult, but very simple. Eat sensible, low-calorie meals, and stay away from between-meal snacks. When an emotional situation comes up, grab an apple and much down hard until the situation or person(s) causing it goes away.

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