Fear of eating - is your fear the reason you are overweight?

Fear of eating - is your fear the reason you are overweight?

Were you a fearful child? Have you spent a lot of time worrying about things you couldn't control? Maybe you grew into an adult with the same feelings and are also overweight or even obese?

There is a lot of research that has found a strong connection between anxious childhood and anxiety eating as an adult. Many men and women turn to food to fill a missing void and find comfort in eating. Fear eating is eating caused by fear, not hunger.

What causes anxiety eating?

The connection between anxiety and eating disorders has been the subject of several studies. These studies all suggest that social anxiety, the fear of being judged by society, or generalized anxiety, may be the first step toward developing an eating disorder.

Is night eating actually anxiety eating?

Just knowing that you'll have to face another night of late-night eating can cause anxiety around eating.

People who suffer from night eating often have anxious thoughts and feelings of guilt about eating at night. On the other hand, anxiety and fear usually occur in the evening and at night, leading to anxiety while eating - eating to calm you down. This is the vicious cycle of fear eating. Food can ease and even stop your anxiety attack, but anxiety is not cured and will not go away.

Unfortunately, eating at night and calming down only reinforces nighttime eating behavior.

It's easy to understand why people turn to food when they suffer from persistent anxiety, fear, or even panic attacks. Instead of focusing on the fear, focus on your food – the taste, texture, and smell of it. It's a much nicer alternative to feelings of stress, right?

Can you break the pattern of anxious eating by treating your anxiety?

In many cases, eating for emotional reasons led to overweight, obesity, or even extreme obesity. By addressing the fear directly, you have a much better chance of getting rid of your eating disorders.

The Solution to Fear Eating – Cognitive Therapy for Anxiety

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is very useful in treating anxiety disorders. The cognitive part helps you change the thought patterns that support your fears, and the behavioral part helps you change the way you react to fear-provoking situations.

Cognitive behavioral therapy teaches you to understand and change your thought patterns so that you can respond differently to situations that scare you. Makes sense, right? And that's exactly how you should eliminate your anxiety forever, without prescription medications that have many side effects.

Inspired by Meital James