It is common for individuals to indulge in their favorite foods. However, the problem arises when individuals with depression, or any other mental disorder turn to their favorite foods for comfort and solace.
Studies show that 27% of adults in the U.S. eat to manage stress and 34% of adults who overeat unhealthy foods because of stress say this behavior has become a habit.
What is Comfort Eating?
Comfort Eating, commonly known as ‘emotional eating’ involves consumption of food for emotional comfort and relief, rather than physical hunger. Individuals who indulge in comfort eating, more often than not, consume foods that are unhealthy and contain high levels of sugar, trans fat, salt content and calories.
Some of the symptoms of comfort eating that are noted in individuals with depression are:
- Increased Cravings for High- Calorie Foods- Individuals may start to consume sugary and fatty foods, or foods with high calorie levels to cope with negative emotions. Since foods high in sugar and fat levels stimulate the release of dopamine, a chemical responsible for pleasure and reward, individuals may temporarily feel satisfied or happy after consuming their favorite foods.
- Eating When Not Hungry – Individuals may start to eat even though they do not feel physically hungry. It is a way for them to avoid any stressful or anxiety- inducing emotions. It becomes a coping mechanism for them to numb their feelings.
- Mindless Eating – Mindless Eating occurs when individuals are not paying attention to what they are consuming. They are often distracted by television, internet, or other activities and mindlessly consume their favorite foods.
- Eating as a Response to Stress – Individuals may start to binge- eat or overeat their comfort foods to manage stress. They feel their emotional distress is alleviated by indulging in comfort eating. Stress releases a hormone called cortisol that increases appetite and cravings, hence, increasing the possibility of comfort eating.
- Irregular Eating Patterns – Irregular eating patterns include late night snacking, eating at irregular times, skipping meals or sometimes, binge- eating altogether. These disorganized patterns could lead individuals to eat in response to emotional cues rather than actual physical hunger.
- Weight Gain – Comfort eating could lead to binge- eating and overeating which could lead to weight gain, and potentially, obesity. Depression, combined with comfort eating, could severely affect metabolism, hence, resulting in weight gain.
How Depression can Lead to Comfort Eating
Depression and comfort eating are closely linked as severe emotional distress and extreme mood swings could lead to unhealthy eating patterns. When an individual is under intense emotional distress and does not know how to cope with their behavior and emotions, they turn to comfort eating to feel satisfied or numb their feelings.
Following are some factors that play a role in connecting depression to comfort eating:
- Stress and Anxiety – Individuals with depression often experience high levels of stress and anxiety and therefore, cope with these feelings through comfort eating. By doing so, they try to forget about all the stress- inducing things and as a result, feel relieved.
- Lack of Energy – Depression renders an individual weak and therefore, they experience fatigue and extreme weakness. As a result, they do not have time to make healthy meals for themselves and consume unhealthy foods instead. By doing so, they start to heavily rely on convenience foods and follow an unhealthy diet.
- Release of Dopamine and Serotonin – By consuming comfort foods, the brain releases dopamine and serotonin neurotransmitters that provide pleasure to an individual and also improve their mood. However, this is a temporary mechanism and could prove to be extremely harmful in the long run.
- Negative Emotions – Depression leads individuals to feel extreme negative emotions like sadness, hopelessness, helplessness, worthlessness, shame, and guilt. As a result, they start comfort eating to temporarily feel pleasure and satisfaction. Foods high in sugar and fat levels provide pleasure and improve the overall mood of individuals.
- Disruption of Eating Habits – Depression could result in disruptive eating patterns, leading to comfort eating. This could include late- night snacking, skipping meals, or eating at odd hours of the day. Individuals turn to food for support and eventually, it becomes a habit.
- Self- Medication – While some individuals turn to substance use to control their emotions or feel better, others might turn to food. This is called self- medication. In order to feel in control of their emotions and not feel anxious and agitated, they might start comfort eating. This helps them avoid feeling emotional distress.
- Self- Esteem Issues – Depression could impact the body or self- image of individuals who comfort eat. If they gain weight, or notice a change in their body weight, they might start to view themselves in a negative light and experience intense feelings of shame, guilt, and humiliation.
- Thought Distortions – Thought Distortions, or negative thinking could have a significant impact on an individual’s eating habits. Thought distortions may lead them to skip on meals and then binge- eat altogether to make up for the missed meals. They could also indulge in comfort eating as a way to cope with their negative thoughts.
Psychological Impact of Comfort Eating in Depression
While comfort eating provides temporary relief to individuals with depression, it could have long- lasting psychological effects. Some of them are listed below:
- Dependency and Avoidance – Comfort eating could make individuals completely dependent on food. Individuals with depression turn to their comfort foods to avoid feeling anxious and depressed. In order to deal with complex feelings, they think it’s best to eat their comfort foods, rather than practicing mindfulness, exercising regularly, and maintaining a healthy diet.
- Negative Self-Perception and Body Image – Consistently comfort eating could lead to weight gain and potentially other health issues. This could result in individuals perceiving their body image in a negative light. A negative self- image could lead individuals to feel worthless, extreme guilt, humiliated, embarrassed, and incompetent.
- Cognitive Impairments – The feelings of guilt and shame of comfort eating could overwhelm an individual with depression, and hence, this could affect the cognitive functioning of the individual. They could experience memory problems, poor problem- solving skills, poor concentration, and forgetfulness.
- Guilt and Shame Cycle – After episodes of comfort eating, it could bring feelings of guilt and shame to an individual. These feelings could further exacerbate the depressive symptoms of depression, which could severely affect their body- image as some individuals already feel worthless and incomplete.
- Disrupted Eating Patterns – Comfort eating could lead individuals to develop disrupted or unhealthy eating patterns like binge eating and restricting food intake as a form of self-punishment. This could result in them having an unhealthy relationship with food. Disrupted eating patterns could send an individual into a spiral of guilt and shame.
- Increased Risk of Co-Occurring Disorders – Comfort eating could lead to the development of co- occurring like Binge Eating Disorder (BED) or bulimia nervosa. Such disorders could exacerbate the symptoms of depression and worsen the feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, and worthlessness.
Effects of Comfort Eating in Depression
Comfort eating could have short- term as well as long- term effects on an individual with depression. Here are some of them:
Short- Term Effects of Comfort Eating
- Temporary Mood Improvement – Eating comfort foods could trigger the release of ‘feel good’ hormones dopamine and serotonin, especially when consuming sugary and fatty foods. This could result in a temporary boost in the mood and make the person happy.
- Increased Energy Levels – Consuming foods containing high levels of sugar could give an energy boost to an individual or sometimes, even a ‘sugar rush’. However, the burst of energy is followed by extreme fatigue.
- Gastrointestinal Discomfort – Excessive eating or consuming unhealthy comfort foods could lead to bloating, indigestion, and stomach discomfort. Rich, fatty, or spicy foods could exacerbate these issues.
- Cravings and Overeating – Comfort foods could be highly addicting, as consuming sugary or high-fat foods could result in further cravings and a cycle of overeating.
- Guilt and Shame – Individuals may feel guilty or ashamed after indulging in comfort eating, especially if they are trying to manage their weight or eat healthily. This could result in a negative emotional cycle and thought distortions.
- Short-Term Weight Gain – Constant or recurring episodes of comfort eating could result in prominent weight changes in the short term, particularly if high-calorie, sugary, and fatty foods are consumed in large quantities.
Long- Term Effects of Comfort Eating
- Weight Gain and Obesity – Comfort eating refers to consuming high-calorie, low- nutrient foods, which could result in excessive calorie intake. Over time, this caloric surplus could lead to weight gain and potentially obesity, which could lead to an increased risk of various health conditions.
- Emotional Dependence on Food – Individuals with depression employ comfort eating as a coping mechanism for stress or sadness which could turn into a habitual response to emotional distress and intense feelings. After comfort eating, individuals may experience guilt and shame, perpetuating a negative cycle of emotional eating.
- Social Isolation – Weight changes and body image issues could lead individuals to avoid social situations, which could further exacerbate the feelings of loneliness and isolation. Constant preoccupation with food and eating could interfere with daily life and relationships of an individual.
- Chronic Health Conditions – Long-term comfort eating could result in the development of chronic conditions like obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and certain types of cancer.
- Mood Instability – The consumption of high-glycemic foods could cause rapid fluctuations in blood sugar levels, which could result in constant mood swings and irritability. The cycle of overeating, guilt, and shame could worsen symptoms of depression and anxiety, contributing to a negative mental headspace.
- Cognitive Decline – Long-term poor diet or diet that has little- to- no nutrition is linked to cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Nutritional deficiencies caused by comfort eating could impair cognitive functions, which could result in difficulties with memory, focus, concentration, and decision-making.
Emotional Effects of Comfort Eating
- Guilt and Shame – After indulging in comfort eating, individuals may experience intense feelings of guilt or shame, especially if they perceive their eating as unhealthy or excessive. They become aware of their comfort eating and therefore, blame themselves.
- Increased Stress and Anxiety – While comfort eating may provide temporary relief to an individual displaying depressive symptoms, it could result in increased stress and anxiety in the long run, particularly if it results in weight change or health issues.
- Lowered Self-Esteem – Negative body image or dissatisfaction with one’s eating habits could contribute to lowered self-esteem and self-worth. This could also exacerbate the negative thoughts in individuals.
- Cycle of Comfort Eating – Comfort eating could become a repetitive cycle, where negative thoughts and emotions lead to eating, followed by guilt or shame, and then more eating as a way to cope with those feelings of guilt and shame.
- Interference with Emotional Processing – Using food as a coping mechanism could interfere with the natural process of identifying, experiencing, and managing emotions, which could result in problems in emotional regulation.
- Emotional Numbness – Relying on food to manage emotions could result in avoidance behavior, as well as emotional numbness, where individuals become disconnected from their true feelings and are unable to process emotions in a healthy way, leading to emotional dysregulation and a repetitive cycle of comfort eating.
Nutritional Deficiencies Caused by Comfort Eating in Depression
Since comfort eating involves the consumption of favorite foods, which are typically high in sugar, fat, and calories, they often lack essential nutrients and individuals experience nutritional deficiencies. Following are some nutritional deficiencies that could occur alongside comfort eating:
- Vitamin D Deficiency – Vitamin D deficiency caused by comfort eating could lead to severe depression, fatigue, and mood swings. Individuals with Vitamin D Deficiency should consume fatty fish, and fortified dairy products, and take in some sunlight.
- Omega- 3 Fatty Acids Deficiency – Comfort eating could cause an Omega- 3 Fatty Acids deficiency in individuals with depression which could contribute to mood disorders and cognitive decline. Fatty fish (like salmon and mackerel), flaxseeds, and walnuts are some of the foods to curb this deficiency.
- Magnesium Deficiency – Individuals with depression who indulge in comfort eating could have magnesium deficiency which could result in increased anxiety, depression, and irritability. Hence, they should consume nuts, seeds, whole grains, and leafy green vegetables to mitigate the effects of magnesium deficiency.
- Zinc Deficiency – Zinc deficiency, as a result of comfort eating, could lead to severe depression and impaired memory. Foods such as meat, shellfish, legumes, seeds, and nuts would be beneficial for those with depression.
- Calcium Deficiency – Calcium deficiency in individuals with depression who comfort eat, could lead to mood swings, anxiety, and severe depressive symptoms. They should consume dairy products, fortified plant-based milk, tofu, and leafy greens to avoid calcium deficiency.
- Iron Deficiency – Comfort eating could result in an iron deficiency in individuals with depression, which could lead to fatigue, depression, and impaired cognitive functioning. Foods that could help with the problem of iron deficiency are red meat, poultry, lentils, beans, and fortified cereals.
Common Comfort Foods
There are some common comfort foods that individuals with depression turn to, that provide a sense of nostalgia, warmth, and emotional comfort. However, not all of them are healthy and should not be consumed on a regular basis to avoid any medical conditions.
Following are some comfort foods that individuals with depression should and should not consume to stay healthy and in a good headspace.
Comfort Foods that are Healthy
- Porridge
- Oatmeal
- Eggs
- Fruits
- Idli- Sambar
- Omelet
- Chocolate
- Hot Chocolate
- Boiled White Rice
- Sweet Potato Mash
- Vegetable Soup
- Chickpea Curry
- Hummus and Veggies
- Black Bean Tacos
- Chia Seed Pudding
- Lentil Stew
Comfort Foods that are Unhealthy
- Pizza
- Biryani
- Macaroni
- French Fries
- Chilly Chicken
- Potato Chips
- Donuts
- Ice Cream
- Fried Chicken
- Chocolate Cake
- Cinnamon Rolls
- Loaded Nacho
- Pancakes with Syrup
- Cheeseburgers
- Biscuits and Gravy
- Hot Dogs
Consequences of Comfort Eating on Physical Health
While comfort foods provide temporary comfort and satisfaction, they could have detrimental effects on an individual’s health in the long run. Following are some physical consequences of comfort eating on physical health:
- Increased Risk of Chronic Diseases – Comfort eating could potentially lead to obesity and poor dietary choices, which are associated with a risk of developing chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and hypertension.
- Weight Gain – Since comfort foods are generally high-calorie, sugary, or fatty foods, they could result in a significant weight gain, contributing to obesity and other medical conditions.
- Nutrient Imbalance – Comfort foods are often low in essential nutrients and high in empty calories, which could result in nutrient deficiencies. This imbalance could have a negative impact on the overall health and immune function of an individual.
- Sleep Disruptions – Eating sugary or fatty foods before bedtime could interfere with sleep quality, leading to problems like insomnia, hypersomnia or disrupted sleep patterns, leading to fatigue, nausea, and other hypertension.
- Increased Risk of Heart Issues – Foods high in saturated fats and trans fats could lead to increased cholesterol levels, potentially resulting in a risk of cardiovascular diseases.
- Mood Swings and Energy Levels – Fluctuations in blood sugar levels due to high sugar and fat intake could result in intense mood swings, irritability, agitation, and fatigue.
How to Stop Comfort Eating?
There are multiple ways in which individuals could keep a track of what they are consuming and be mindful about what foods they eat to avoid binge- eating and overeating. Following are some ways to avoid comfort eating:
- Mindfulness- Based Therapy – Mindfulness- Based Therapy helps individuals focus on the present moment and become more aware of hunger cues, food choices, and eating habits. It encourages individuals to improve their emotional awareness and helps them reduce impulsive eating.
- Practice Mindful Eating – Mindful Eating involves taking time to enjoy the meal, chewing slowly, and savoring each bite. It helps individuals recognize when they are full. Eating without distractions like TV or phones helps individuals focus on their meal and notice their body’s hunger cues.
- Find Alternatives to Eating – Engaging in activities like walking, yoga, or any form of exercise reduces stress. Instead of indulging in comfort eating, individuals are encouraged to develop hobbies or interests that keep their hands and mind busy, such as painting, knitting, or gardening. They could also practice deep-breathing exercises to manage stress and other distressing emotions.
- Keep a Food Diary – Keeping a food diary could be beneficial for individuals with depression as writing down what you eat, when, and why helps identify negative patterns and emotional triggers. Managing a diary also helps an individual realize their feelings before and after eating, which could further help them gain an insight into their emotional eating habits.
- Nutritional Counseling – A registered dietitian could help provide personalized advice based on an individual’s specific needs. Individuals learn how to create a balanced diet that supports their physical health as well as emotional well-being. They gain a deeper understanding of how comfort eating affects their mood and energy levels.
- Support Groups – Support groups could help individuals stay on track, provide tips and strategies on how to cope with comfort eating, share their personal stories of struggle to foster a feeling of sympathy, support, and camaraderie. Sharing challenges and successes with others in the group could help boost motivation and provide emotional support.
Comfort eating is one of the most common symptoms of depression. If you or someone you know is struggling with comfort eating, do not hesitate to reach out and seek professional help.
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