Overeating Causes. Why Are We Overeating?

Today overeating causes aren’t so obvious as it may seem. For many people, the very fact of suffering because of food may seem strange. But do not underestimate it – if the problem exists, then there are reasons and conditions that created this problem. A traumatic experience, anxiety, stress – all this finds its way out through abuse.

Overeating causes: #1 Stress

One begins to smoke, the other – to drink a lot, the third – to use drugs, and the fourth – to eat a lot. But if you can give up smoking, for example, without buying cigarettes, then you can’t live long without food. This is the basic process for survival. If there are pathological disorders in it, sooner or later, it will begin to affect all areas of life. Therefore, many modern studies emphasize the importance of diagnosing and treating overeating.

A compulsive overeating story can develop, for example, in this scenario: normal overeating caused by depression, anxiety, or stress forms a life-saving behavior pattern. The absorption of tasty food gives off a “pleasant” neurotransmitter, and the brain begins to perceive it as the most affordable way to cope with problems. If in the case of negative experiences, a person more and more often turns to food, over time, it becomes fixed and turns into a complete disorder.

This mechanism of dependence is very similar to many other substances and patterns, for example, smoking.

Overeating causes: #2 Standards

We like to compare ourselves with others, and then be disappointed if the other has something that we don’t have. The desire to be accepted by society, to be “no worse”, part of the “pack”, is partially realized through the desire to conform to images and ideals.

And what largely determines the appearance of a person? That’s right – the food!

Typically, people with COs have lower self-esteem and dissatisfaction with their bodies. People with anorexia and bulimia are convinced that they weigh too much.

The environment and the behavior of others play an important role here. Studies have shown that the likelihood of making an eating disorder correlates with the presence of ridicule about a person’s appearance.

It is important to note that many of those who suffer from compulsive overeating are overweight. Often this takes on a cyclical character: the more stress, the more food, the more weight, which leads to stress and so on. And the cycle is difficult to break because society often stigmatizes overweight people – they are prejudiced; they often face prejudice and discrimination. Even at the household level, an overweight person seems to us to be lazy and uninitiated. Simple stamps lead to complex consequences.

Social networks, by the way, add fuel to the fire. For example, there is a study that says using Instagram is associated with increased symptoms of nervous orthorexia. People leaf through a tape filled with numerous accounts of extreme health adepts and idolaters of avocados and make their sometimes dubious advice a real dogma. And often overdo it with diets.

“Rigid” diets are especially dangerous, after which there may be signs of eating disorders. Our psyche loves stability – regular and complete meals are necessary for the healthy functioning of the brain and other organs.

If we ate normally, and then abruptly cut calories, the body will perceive this as stress – a lack of nutrients leads to a transition to an “economical” mode of existence. For some time, this scheme works, but sooner or later, a “breakdown” occurs. The body wants to compensate for all deficiencies, and this can result in a violation of the perception of food and RPP.

Overeating causes: #3 Genetics

The third element of eating disorders is genetics. But, everything is not easy with genetic research. At the current level of development of genetics and research methods, it seems unlikely to separate the influence of external factors from genetic predispositions, given how complex the relationship between gene expression, behavior, and the influence of the environment and society is.

There is a hypothesis that explains the dependent behavior through the activity of certain neurotransmitters: dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. The specifics of the work of neuro-metabolism is inherited, and, in theory, contribute to the development of various mental diseases and disorders, including CO.

What to do?

And here is the good news: in 2016, researchers found that people suffering from compulsive overeating more adequately assess their “real” and “perceived” body, compared with people suffering from bulimia or anorexia, which have a pronounced cognitive distortion of the image body.

In general, in patients with compulsive overeating, beliefs about their body image and food intake are easier to readjust than in patients with bulimia and anorexia.

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