Emotional overeating overlooked, survey shows
Emotional overeating is a major psychological problem that is often misunderstood by health professionals, a survey by the eating disorders charity, BEAT, has found.
Of the 857 respondents, 88 per cent said they overate for emotional reasons, such as feeling low, anxious, lonely or because they couldn’t cope with difficult feelings. Of the 48 per cent who sought medical help, 73 per cent said their GP did not investigate their emotional health and instead focused on diet and exercise.
The survey also reveals the social pressures on people with emotional overeating problems: 85 per cent had a negative body image, 79 per cent felt under pressure to lose weight, and 76 per cent had low self-esteem.
Therapy Today, October 2014
Of the 857 respondents, 88 per cent said they overate for emotional reasons, such as feeling low, anxious, lonely or because they couldn’t cope with difficult feelings. Of the 48 per cent who sought medical help, 73 per cent said their GP did not investigate their emotional health and instead focused on diet and exercise.
The survey also reveals the social pressures on people with emotional overeating problems: 85 per cent had a negative body image, 79 per cent felt under pressure to lose weight, and 76 per cent had low self-esteem.
Therapy Today, October 2014