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How many times has it happened to us to open the pantry or the fridge in a moment of strong stress, almost compulsive in search of something good? And here it is nervous hunger. It is no coincidence that it manifests itself in moments when we are down in tone or bored and leads us to search consolation in food.
Today more than ever, it is easy to access delicious foods that appeal to our taste buds like chips, desserts, fried. These are processed foods that are often consumed to cope with moments of anxiety or sadness, but that in the long run they can affect the waistline as well as our health.
Nervous hunger is a eating disorder more common than you can imagine. It can affect anyone at any time in life, especially the most psychologically difficult ones. If kept at bay it’s not a big problem, even if otherwise it could have repercussions on psychophysical health.
So how to recognize nervous hunger and how to best manage it? We approached the subject with the Doctor Sara Baldrighi, Psychologist and Psychotherapist.
What is that
«Nervous hunger is when we consume even excessive quantities of food take comfort in something. In this case, in fact, food is used not to satisfy hunger, but to compensate for internal negative states. It can also be called emotional eating, or the tendency to use food as a strategy to deal with stressful events. The act of eating is in fact seen as a way to defeat sadness of the moment or symptoms of anxiety and restlessness. Or the food could turn into one sort of justification to take a break when you are going through stressful moments at work or when you are carrying out activities that you don’t want to do »explains the doctor.
How to recognize it
«Because it is activated by negative emotional states, nervous hunger in turn causes a worsening of mood which again helps to stimulate nervous hunger, thus creating a vicious circle. You eat harder and somehow you realize you are eating more than usual. Also, it has a feeling of big satiety which can also be annoying. Yes loses control on the amount of food ingested and if you may want more. In general, nervous hunger awakens the desire to fatty and sweet foods such as chocolate, for example »continues Dr. Baldrighi.
Although there appears to be a correlation between nervous hunger and another more serious eating disorder, bulimia, it is actually good. make a distinction. In the case of nervous hunger, in fact, we can speak of uncontrolled eating, so we tend to eat more than normal, but there is no compensatory form typical of bulimia.
Causes
“Nervous hunger is triggered by psychological factors such as stress, anxiety, sadness. In fact, it starts from the head and not from the stomach. It can manifest itself in moments of stress, of overwork, of anxiety. The first few times you don’t notice it, but when you start snacking when you didn’t usually have them or eat them larger portions, a kind of awareness can arise. If you feel that you are overeating, it may be helpful to write on a piece of paper what are the sensations that food causes both before and while you eat »specifies the doctor.
Tips to manage it better
“Nervous hunger is a less serious eating disorder than for example bulimia or anorexia, but it can become a problem when lasts over time. To learn how to manage this condition, you can adopt some strategies how:
- fight quantity with quality, for example by deciding to prepare a dish where it takes more time, or also dedicating oneself to setting up the table;
- avoid eating standing up;
- try to find alternatives eating such as writing, letting off steam on a blank page;
- practice some physical exercise that can be just a walk. In fact, the body releases endorphins with a general well-being effect for the body and mind.
In general, I recommend pay attention to your feelings so you can also prevent hunger pangs. Then, if once in a while it happens of being overwhelmed by nervous hunger, there is no risk of major repercussions, as long as it does not become pathological ”, concludes the expert.
In conclusion, we can say that nervous hunger manifests itself with a sudden desire for food, linked however not to a physiological need rather to the symptoms of anxiety, stress, sadness. Even if you let yourself go from time to time, you don’t need to be too alert. But beware of keep it under control: if you are unable to manage the condition yourself, it is always good to talk to your doctor, a psychologist or a psychotherapist.
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