Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Are You an Emotional Overeater? Take this Quiz and Learn How to Overcome It!

Does a fight with your mate or an argument with your teenager propel you straight to the bottom of an ice-cream carton? Does an impending job interview send you to the nearest drive-thru lane faster than you can say, “Fries with that, please?” Did you have a flat tire on the way home from work and then make a beeline to the fridge? Perhaps you eat when you’re tense, lonely, afraid, depressed, or angry—pretty much any time things go a bit wrong. If so, you may be overeating in response to emotions such as boredom, loneliness, anger, sadness or fear.


Take this short quiz to find out if you are an emotional overeater.


1. I turn to food when I’m sad, disappointed, or lonely. Yes ___ No ___


2. I often eat past the point of fullness. Yes ___ No ___


3. When I’m upset, I crave sweets or salty snack foods. Yes ___ No ___


4. When I go to parties or dine out, I tend to overeat. Yes ___ No ___


5. If I eat too much, I feel guilty afterward. Yes ___ No ___


6. I eat more than I should when I’m home alone or bored. Yes ___ No ___


7. My moods have the biggest influence on when/how I eat. Yes ___ No ___


8. I like to nurture family and friends with food. Yes ___ No ___


9. I think about food a lot. Yes ___ No ___


10. I am unhappy with my weight, but I overeat anyway. Yes ___ No ___


11. Eating is my favorite activity. Yes ___ No ___


12. I tend to clean my plate; I don’t like to waste food. Yes ___ No ___


13. I binge habitually. Yes ___ No ___


14. The large amount of food I eat embarrasses me. Yes ___ No ___


15. Sugary foods tend to calm me down. Yes ___ No ___


Scoring: Count up your yes and no responses.


If you answered yes to eight or more questions: Your feelings of anger, frustration, loneliness, sadness, boredom or even happiness might be causing you to overeat. And you are probably an emotional overeater. You may be eating too much or eating chaotically, but what you are really feeding is something in your life: relationship problems, broken dreams, financial worries or problems at work. Try the tips below, but don’t be afraid to seek professional help.

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