Why do we overeat? We ask the experts about what drives us to continue eating when we've had enough

Muscle & Fitness/Hers, May-June, 2003 by Beth Sonnenburg

You know you're not hungry, but you still have that urge to nosh. Is it because the food tastes so good? Because of your sweet tooth? Your genes? Your mood? To explore the topic of overeating, M & F HERS turned to three top experts in the nutrition field. Their advice will guide you if you struggle with overeating.

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Evelyn Tribole, MS, RD, co-author of Intuitive Eating (St. Martins. 1995)

M & F HERS: What are the most common reasons that people overeat?

ET: There are so many biological and emotional reasons. I'll look at the biological factors first. If you've gone too long without eating, let's say longer than five hours, you're bound to overeat at the next mealtime. You may feel you didn't have control over your eating when really it was a biological cause.

Another biological cause is not getting enough calories in a day, or inadequate eating. If a woman is exercising intensely in the morning, for example, her appetite may be temporarily blunted. So she may have something light, and then a normal lunch and dinner. That lack of breakfast catches up with her in the evening [and causes overeating].

M & F HERS: What about the emotional triggers to overeating?

ET: I find when you use the word "emotional," people start thinking of very intense things like stress and anger. I often find the [emotion] can be just a tiny little void of nothingness. We're so used to being on the go and multitasking that we don't know what to do with a moment of stillness. Suddenly we're reaching for a cookie when really we're reaching [for a way] to kill time.

Women who diet might have another issue if they have rules like, "I shouldn't eat chocolate." If for some reason they let themselves eat chocolate, they truly believe at that moment that they're never going to let themselves eat it again. Instead of having one or two pieces and being satisfied, they end up overeating it because they think they won't have it again.

M & F HERS: Some of our readers explain that they most often overeat at night. What do you think that's about?

ET: Evening is a very common time for overeating. I see loneliness as one possible factor. Sometimes we just get more caught up with our emotions. Maybe there's nothing good on television or the e-mail is down. There's something kind of exciting about seeing what's in the cabinet.

M & F HERS: Can you offer some advice on dealing with overeating?

ET: I find it's helpful to ask three questions:

1) Am I biologically hungry? Was what I ate today adequate for what I did? If you're clearly not physically hungry, go to the next question.

2) What am I feeling right now? If you're not hungry, then we're probably talking about some kind of feeling state. I find that for people who aren't in touch with their emotions/feelings (and there are many who aren't), the word "uncomfortable" will often fit. So at least you can say, "I'm eating right now because I'm uncomfortable." You can now associate it with the correct thing.

3) What do I need now to deal with this feeling? The key words here are now and need. Ideally, you'll start to zero in on what that feeling is, because your solution then becomes more effective.

M & F HERS: But what if the thing someone needs "now" is food?

ET: Biologically, though, we know that's not the case. We know that psychologically you need this food. Psychologically, it's helping.

Don't expect to know the answer to that question right away. You may not know what you need, but at least by asking nightly, your radar will be wide open. It gets really tricky at nighttime when you have hunger and emotions--it's hard to sort out. That's why I deal with the biology first, then get into the psychology.

M & F HERS: All of us will overeat at one time or another. When does a pattern of overeating cross into disordered eating?

ET: I think you have to look at the pattern. First we need to realize that overeating on occasion is normal. The good thing is, if you don't panic about it, your body tends to naturally self-regulate. Let's say [you overeat] every once in a while or with your period; you probably don't need to address it. But if it's happening on a regular basis--every night or every other night or on weekends--that's another pattern.

If it's more regular, you need to think about it as a red flag. There's something going on that's not being met, and food is being used to either cope with or meet a need.

Rick Mattes, PhD, MPH, RD, professor of foods and nutrition at Purdue University (West Lafayette)

M & F HERS: Can you address the relationship between overeating and the current epidemic of over-weight and obesity in the U.S.?

RM: My take on the present situation is there has been a subtle change in energy balance over the last 20 years. It's not that all of a sudden we've become gluttons or our genes have changed.

Out of the host of possible dietary changes, one significant factor is that we're drinking more calories than ever before. Those calories are largely unregulated; they just add to the diet ... and so total calorie intake has gone up.