Dr. Susan Albers, author of 50 Ways to Soothe Yourself Without Food, explains here why we use food for comfort and how we can stop.

Q: What is comfort eating?

A: To put it simply, comfort eating is consuming food when you aren't physically hungry. In my new book, 50 Ways to Soothe Yourself Without Food, I make the distinction between "stress eating" and "emotional eating." Stress eating is in response to negative emotions, feeling overwhelmed by a challenge. When you are stressed out, your body has been flooded with cortisol, or stress hormones which make you crave foods, particularly carbohydrates and sugary, fatty foods.

In contrast, many people eat in response to feelings like happiness or joy. They do so in an attempt to keep those positive feelings going. You feel happy and don't want to let go of that feeling. However, keep in mind that some emotional eaters consume food in response to most feelings. When this happens all feelings are misinterpreted as hunger.

We often believe that we stress eat because food is pleasurable. However, many of my clients say that emotional eating doesn't really give them joy. Instead, it numbs them out. This might be sitting in front of the TV staring blankly at it while munching on snacks. They go into a "food trance" or "food coma." This is essential to distract from discomfort and stress. So, consider whether you are really trying to feel nothing rather than something positive.

So one of your first tasks, is to distinguish between emotional and physical hunger. If you are hungry, it is fine to have a snack. If not, this can be a bigger challenge. Don't push away your feelings with food!

Q: What causes comfort eating?


A: Food can be comforting for many reasons:

1. It's just chemistry. Food is soothing due to the chemical changes it creates in your body. Certain foods are linked with increasing the neurotransmitters and chemicals that make you feel good.

2. Stress! Life is so stressful that we are often vulnerable to eating out of worry, anxiety or frustration. It's called the "affect regulation model," which is binge eating to decrease negative mood and increase positive mood. Good and bad feelings can trigger binges. But most people are more familiar with binges kicked off by stress.

3. Tune Out. Eating is also distracting. It can take your attention away from whatever is internally bothering you.

4. Beliefs. You may also be conditioned to believe eating can take away pain. Many media ads push the therapeutic value of food. So we think or believe eating will make us feel good.

5. Right here, right now. Also food is readily available. It is comforting to know that it is easy to get.

6. Entertainment. It is difficult for many of us to deal with boredom and anxiety. Preparing food and eating it can be entertaining and fills time.

7. Good vibes. The foods we crave are often link back to our childhood. We want things that automatically trigger positive emotions from our childhood or comforting memories.

Q: Why is it problematic?

A: Everyone comfort eats now and then in small ways. For example, nibbling on chocolate when you have PMS or buying an ice cream cone as a small pick me up after a stressful day at work. While small doses of comfort eating aren't necessarily physically dangerous, they can quickly develop into a habit. This habit can lead to weight gain or prevent you from losing weight. When comforting yourself with food becomes your primary way of soothing yourself, this is a problem that will catch up with you.

Q: What tips do you have to stop comfort eating?

A: Thankfully, you can break the habit of emotional eating. It takes practice and finding an alternative way to calm and soothe yourself that works for you. Rewire your brain to identify other behaviors as comforting.

Step One: Be Aware. Much of our emotional eating is so automatic, that it happens automatically or below our awareness. Before you jump into changing this behavior, keep a journal. Take note of where and when you stress eat. The office? Late at night? When alone? Are there any patterns that you notice?

Step Two: Replace. If you take out stress eating, you have to put something in its place. Make a concrete list of all the healthy things you do naturally and that work to give you a quick pick me up a tough day (go for a walk, take a hot bath, rent a chick flick).

Step Three: Practice! There are many suggestions of alternative ways to calm yourself in non-calorie ways in 50 Ways to Soothe Yourself Without Food. You will find meditation techniques, self message, distraction ideas, guided imagery and ways to pamper your senses. Try out these techniques when you aren't craving food so you get them down pat before you really need them!