Emotions and Food Consumption: Emotional Eating Behavior in a European Population

Abstract

Emotion can reflect in the perception of food consumption. An increase in food intake during emotional and psychological conditions may have a negative impact on human health. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the associations between food consumption, emotional eating behavior, and emotional conditions such as stress, depression, loneliness, boredom eating, maintaining vigilance and alertness, and emotional food consolation. We used a Motivations for Food Choices Questionnaire (Eating Motivations, EATMOT) to determine the emotional aspects of food consumption in 9052 respondents living in 12 European countries between October 2017 and March 2018. Ordinal linear regression was used to identify the associations between the emotional eating behavior and emotional conditions such as stress, depression, loneliness, emotional consolation, and reasons to improve physical and psychological conditions. The regression models confirmed the associations between food consumption, emotional conditions, and emotional eating behavior. Associations were found between the emotional eating behavior and stress (odds ratio (OR) = 1.30, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.07–1.60, p = 0.010), depressive mood (OR = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.40–1.43, p < 0.001), loneliness (OR = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.58–1.62, p < 0.001), boredom (OR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.36–1.39, p < 0.001), and emotional consolation (OR = 1.55, 95% CI = 1.54–1.57, p < 0.001). Emotional eating was associated with an effort to improve physical and psychological conditions, such as controlling body weight (OR = 1.11, 95% CI = 1.10–1.12, p < 0.001), keeping awake and alert (OR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.19–1.20, p < 0.001) and consumption to feel good (OR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.21–1.22, p < 0.001). In conclusion, emotions might provoke emotional eating behavior. The appropriate way to handle stress, depression, or other emotional states is important in conditions of being emotionally overwhelmed. The public should be educated on how to handle different emotional states. The focus should be moved somehow from emotional eating and the consumption of unhealthy food to healthy lifestyle practices, including regular exercise and healthy eating habits. Thus, it is necessary to halt these negative health effects on human health through public health programs.

Nutrition and eating beliefs and behaviors among individuals with spinal cord injuries and disorders: Healthy or misconceived?

“…Individuals with SCI/D identified overeating, sometimes due to mood or boredom, as unhealthy eating behaviors they engaged in. Likewise, significant associations between increased food consumption and boredom have been reported in other populations (Ljubičić et al, 2023; Holla et al, 2020), specifically emotional eating is associated with consumption of meat, processed, high-fat, fast food, and sugar-sweetened foods (Bui et al, 2021). Notably, each of these food types were named by individuals with SCI/D as unhealthy foods.…”

Does emotional eating status affect food addiction of paramedics? A cross-sectional study

“…Individuals who work in high-stress environments are more likely to experience eating problems such as emotional eating and FA (Ljubi ci c et al, 2023;Najem et al, 2020). A study conducted in Turkey revealed that the stressful working environment, including high workload, lack of resources and shift work that nurses face, may worsen unhealthy eating behaviors among them compared to the general population (Yönder Ertem and Karakas , 2021).…”

“…Emotional eating is defined as excessive eating behavior driven by emotional impulses, often aimed at alleviating negative emotional states (Ljubi ci c et al, 2023), including intense stress, anxiety or depression. While emotional eating may provide temporary relief, it can also develop into a detrimental cycle with long-term health consequences.…”

“…Individuals who work in high-stress environments are more likely to experience eating problems such as emotional eating and FA (Ljubičić et al. , 2023; Najem et al.…”

“…Emotional eating is defined as excessive eating behavior driven by emotional impulses, often aimed at alleviating negative emotional states (Ljubičić et al. , 2023), including intense stress, anxiety or depression.…”