Emotional Eating Haunts Millions of Americans

PHOENIX, Jan. 19 -- Obesity is an epidemic in the U.S., affecting all age groups. Some Americans are overweight because of emotional eating problems. Emotional eating affects far more Americans -- men, women and children from diverse cultural backgrounds -- than the more extensively researched eating disorders, anorexia and bulimia.

"Emotional eating problems have become so common that we forget they are seriously distressing to people," said Edward Cumella, PhD, director of research and education at Remuda Ranch, Programs for Eating Disorders. "Many people are ashamed of their emotional eating, so they keep the behavior secret. Twenty-five to 30 percent of Americans with emotional eating issues are not being routinely identified by counselors or seeking help for their eating problems."

Emotional eating refers to a range of behaviors in which people eat for reasons other than physiological hunger or participation in cultural events. The most researched emotional eating problem is binge eating. When this occurs with regularity and without efforts to purge the calories consumed, the individual might have Binge Eating Disorder. Other forms of emotional eating also exist, including: eating when not hungry, eating foods perceived as "forbidden", grazing, eating to soothe ... // 69% Remaining