How do I stop stress eating?
Spot your trigger first, then plan regular meals. Stress makes many people snack more. But a strict diet may not help. Dieters are more likely to say they eat more when stressed.
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Why do I eat when I’m stressed?
Stress changes what you eat, and often how much. The NHS lists eating too much or too little as a sign of stress.
It’s common. In a UK poll of 4,619 adults, 46% said stress made them eat too much or eat unhealthily.
Stress mostly shifts what you reach for. In a study of 212 London students, 73% said they snacked more when stressed, while meal foods went down.
| What changes | What studies found |
|---|---|
| Snacks | 73% of 212 students said they snacked more when stressed. |
| Meal foods | The same students said fruit, vegetables, meat and fish went down. |
| How much you eat | 38% said they ate more overall. 42% said they ate less. |
| Healthy or not | Across 54 studies of 119,820 adults, stress went with more unhealthy food and less healthy food. |
Sources: Oliver and Wardle 1999; Hill et al 2022
Those 54 studies found the effects were small. So stress nudges your choices. It doesn’t make you powerless.
Your first move: for one week, jot down when you snack and how you felt just before.
Is it stress eating or binge eating disorder?
Beat, the UK eating disorder charity, says it’s normal to find comfort in food. There’s no need to worry if you don’t feel out of control, distressed or guilty.
| Stress eating | Binge eating disorder | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | An eating behaviour, not an eating disorder. | A serious mental health condition. |
| How it feels | Beat says no need to worry if you don’t feel out of control, distressed or guilty. | You eat a lot fast and can’t stop when full. You feel depressed, guilty, ashamed or disgusted after. |
| How often | No threshold, as it’s not an eating disorder. | Likely to be diagnosed after at least one distressing binge a week for at least 3 months. |
| Next step | Try the steps in this guide. | See a GP as soon as you can. |
Sources: Beat; NHS: binge eating disorder
Even without a disorder, Beat says to reach out for help if food is becoming your main way of coping with your feelings.
Recognise the right-hand column? Book a GP appointment, and take a friend if that helps.
Will dieting stop stress eating?
Not on its own. Dieters seem more prone to stress eating.
In the student study, dieters were more likely to say they ate more when stressed. Non-dieters were more likely to eat less.
The NHS is clear for binge eating disorder. It says not to diet during treatment, as it can make it harder to stop bingeing.
The cycle Beat sees in binge eating disorder
- 1
Strict rules
Cutting out foods or fasting.
- 2
Hunger
Hunger builds and you feel deprived.
- 3
Binge
A lot of food, usually eaten in private.
- 4
Guilt
Guilt and disgust, then more rules.
Source: Beat
NHS treatment does the opposite. It plans meals and snacks through the day, to build regular eating.
You can borrow that idea. For meals that keep you full without strict rules, see filling foods.
Does stress eating cause weight gain?
It may, over time. A review found long-term stress was linked to a liking for foods high in sugar and fat.
Studies that follow people for years suggest long-term stress may lead to weight gain, more so in men. The authors call this tentative.
Cortisol, a stress hormone, may play a part. A lab study tested 59 healthy women who had not yet reached menopause.
Those whose cortisol rose most under stress ate more calories on the stress day than the rest. They also ate more sweet food on both days, not just the stress day.
To see where cortisol fits, read does cortisol cause belly fat and high cortisol symptoms.
How to stop stress eating
Six ways to break the stress eating habit
- For one week, jot down when you snack, what you ate and how you felt just before.
- Eat regular meals and snacks through the day, rather than strict dieting.
- When the urge hits, breathe slowly into your belly for at least 5 minutes.
- Go for a walk. Exercise can ease how strongly you feel stress.
- Don’t swap food for alcohol, smoking or caffeine as a way to cope.
- Write down what’s stressing you, and act on one part you can control.
Sources: NHS: binge eating treatment; NHS: 10 stress busters; NHS: breathing exercises
The diary is your trigger finder. NHS therapy for binge eating also starts by working out what triggers it.
Mindfulness meditation may help too. That means calmly noticing your thoughts and body in the moment.
A review of 14 studies found it cut emotional eating and binge eating in people prone to them. Its effect on weight was mixed.
To try it, see mindfulness-based stress reduction. To tackle the stress itself, see stress management.
When to speak to a GP
Book an appointment if:
- You often eat a lot of food fast and can’t stop when full. The NHS says to see a GP as soon as you can.
- You eat alone or in secret, or feel depressed, guilty, ashamed or disgusted after a binge.
- Food is becoming your main way of coping with your feelings.
- You’re struggling to cope with stress, or the things you’re trying aren’t helping.
You can also talk in confidence to Beat. Its adult helpline is 0808 801 0677 and its youth helpline is 0808 801 0711.
Need help fast but it’s not an emergency? Call 111 or ask for an urgent GP appointment.
Call 999 or go to A&E now if someone’s life is at risk, for example they’ve seriously hurt themselves or taken an overdose. Or if you don’t feel you can keep yourself or someone else safe. Samaritans are free on 116 123.