Emotional Hunger and Physical Hunger - How to Cope with Emotional Eating
Mateusz Pawlak
2026-03-25
8 min. read
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For humans to function and develop effectively, consuming food is indispensable. However, this is not the only function it serves. In addition to satisfying hunger, providing energy and essential nutrients to the body, food also fulfills social, cultural, psychological, and emotional functions. Shared consumption of meals allows for strengthening interpersonal connections. Food also reflects traditions and values in different environments, and regional dishes are often associated with local or national identity. However, the most crucial aspect is that food often serves as a means of dealing with emotions. Increasingly, it is observed that meals are consumed as a response to emotional hunger rather than physical hunger. This phenomenon is known as emotional eating.
Understanding emotional eating
Emotional eating is considered a means of dealing with difficult emotions through food consumption. However, it can also be a response to positive feelings such as joy or excitement (T. J. Devonport, W. Nicholls, C. Fullerton 2017). Unfortunately, research clearly indicates that this eating behavior is associated with a higher risk of developing obesity, eating disorders, and depression (T. Van Strien 2018). Among the main causes of emotional eating are stress, financial, family, and health issues, as well as difficulties in recognizing one's own emotions and feelings (or lack of interoceptive awareness). Individuals who use or have used restrictive diets are significantly more susceptible to emotional eating. It is also important to note that emotional eating is an automatic and habitual behavior, meaning that the more often it is repeated, the more often it will occur (J. Reichenberger et al. 2018).
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