How do people perceive eating? What about overeating? Is it related to other addictions or mental disorders?
As noted in the 2009 study Constructing Food Choice Decision, eating is a universal activity that is necessary for the survival of individuals and to maintain good health. It involves food choice decisions which are both mundane and arbitrary but at the same time significant and symbolic.
The availability of and accessibility to food have led to many opportunities to overeat, but not every decision to eat or not is merely a personal decision. A 2018 study by Mozaffarian et al. found that a myriad of complex factors influences the dietary choices and patterns of people.
Given the increasing awareness of dual disorders—the co-occurrence of substance use disorder (SUD) and mental illness—it is worthwhile to know whether other disorders are also a factor in overeating. Almost 40% of adults with a SUD also have a mental illness, and nearly a quarter of all people with a binge-eating disorder (BED) also report having a SUD at some point in their lives.
Obesity and other Chronic Diseases
Obesity is more than just being overweight. According to a 2012 study by Bittencourt et al. on the correlation between anxiety/depression and binge eating, obesity is when so much fat accumulates that it has “adverse effects on health,” including chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and locomotor conditions such as osteoarthritis.
Overweight and obese people, especially adolescents, also experience discrimination that can increase the risk of developing psychiatric conditions: depression, drug abuse, anxiety disorders, and eating behaviors.
Relevant Statistics of Weight Classification and Eating Disorders
Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention weight classification by Body Mass Index (BMI) reveals that 1.8 percent are underweight, while the overweight and the obese accounts for 35.3 and 31.6 percent respectively. Only 32 percent are reported to have normal weight.
Data from 1992 published on the Eating Disorder Hope website states that 10 million females and 1 million males in the US are struggling with eating disorders.
Main Cause of Overeating
According to an article on the Huffington Post, the main reason why people overeat is their personality type. In an interview with Anne Dranitsaris and Heather Dranitsaris-Hilliard—authors of Who Are You Meant to Be?—the pair pointed out that each personality type has its own needs. In some, overeating is equivalent to fulfilling those needs. When we start to overeat, we also begin a relationship with the foods that we consider as our favorites.
Dranirsaris and Dranitsaris-Hilliard raised seven common reasons for overeating:
- To be social. Social outings often involve food. People anxious to socialize don’t often turn down an invitation and may end up overeating socially.
- Boredom. Eating to kill time is a common way to entertain oneself, especially if one doesn’t have much to do or isn’t challenged or fulfilled by what they have to do. The desire to fill one’s day can cause overeating.
- To decompress. Some people are too busy, and they end up lacking the time for rest and relationships. To take their minds off their emotional struggles, they emotionally eat and end up overeating.
- Eating mindlessly. Most people don’t remember what they eat especially when they are too focused on other things: their occupations, studies. They end up overeating because they lose track of their food and whether they are really hungry.
- For the rush. Going for a quick coffee or sugar break to be stimulated causes overeating. Ignoring the signal of the body for exhaustion because of the need to stay awake can lead to eating junk foods and drinking of alcohol or heavily sugared and caffeinated beverages to get that required instant high.
- Habit. Overeating can also be caused by a lifetime membership in the clean plate club. Mothers who always remind their children to eat all the food on their plates establish this habit. The guilt of wasting food (can’t it be saved?) if it causes one to overeat.
- Comfort. In difficult times, some people opt to eat their feelings, usually alone (by choice or otherwise), for comfort instead of engaging with others. This type of overeating may require professional help.
Co-Occurring Disorders: Eating Disorders and Mental Health
According to Eating Disorder Hope, individuals who suffer any form of an eating disorder often suffer from dual disorders also called co-occurring disorders or dual diagnosis. Understanding the symptoms and the relationship between dual disorders facilitates the identification and implementation of the best treatment strategy for specific cases.
Alcohol Use Disorder and Overeating
Michael J. Lewis’ 1996 study Alcohol Reinforcement and Neuropharmacological Therapeutics states that alcohol produces a mild euphoria and reduces anxiety and aversion to stressful life events.
However, when the blood alcohol concentration decreases, it results in the appearance of the depressive and aversive effects of alcohol.
The study also revealed that alcohol-dependent persons experience an alteration in the function and communication of the brain, liver, and other vital organ systems. Hunger increases the desire of an alcohol-dependent individual to consume more alcohol.
The similarity between alcoholism and obesity in terms of intake control is another consideration. Obese individuals excessively take in calories mostly in the form of fatty and carbohydrate-rich foods. The physiological signal motivating eating and signaling satiety is not working. Alcohol dependents, on the other hand, have uncontrollable drinking habits. The calories from alcohol eventually make up around 50 percent of their overall calorie intake.
Relevant Statistics of Alcohol Use Disorders
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) reported that in 2015:
- 86.4 percent of individuals 18 and above drank alcohol at least once in their lifetime.
- 26.9 percent of the same age group experienced binge drinking
- 7 percent were engaged in heavy alcohol use in the previous month
- 15.1 million adults 18 and older suffer from alcohol use disorder (AUD)
The connection between overeating and other disorders like substance abuse may be complex, but understanding is necessary for lasting recovery.
References:
1. Sobal, J., & Bisogni, C. (2009). Constructing Food Choice Decisions. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 38(1), 37-46. Retrieved on 120818 from https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/oxford-university-press/constructing-food-choice-decisions-O1Tf6Qklye?.
2. Mozaffarian, D., Angell, S.Y., Lang, T., Rivera, J.A. Role of government policy in nutrition—barriers to and opportunities for healthier eating BMJ 2018; 361: k2426. Retrieved on 120818 from https://www.bmj.com/content/361/bmj.k2426.
3. Comorbidity: Substance Use and Other Mental Disorders, National Institute on Drug Abuse. [accessed Dec 27, 2018]. URL: https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/trends-statistics/infographics/comorbidity-substance-use-other-mental-disorders.
4. Schreiber, Liana R. N., Odlaug, Brian L., & Grant, Jon E. (2013). The overlap between binge eating disorder and substance use disorders: Diagnosis and neurobiology, Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 2(4), 191-198. Retrieved on 120818 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4154572/ .
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6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Population Health. BRFSS Prevalence & Trends Data [online]. 2015. [accessed Dec 08, 2018]. URL: https://www.cdc.gov/brfss/brfssprevalence/.
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13. Marquez, J.R. (2014). Compulsive Overeating and How to Stop It. Retrieved on 120818, from https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/eating-disorders/binge-eating-disorder/features/compulsive-overeating-and-how-to-stop-it#2.
14. Davis, Maryann, Sheidow, Ashli, and Zajac, Kristyn (2013). Prevalence and Impact of Substance Use among Emerging Adults with Serious Mental Health Conditions. Retrieved on 012219 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3767039/)
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About the Author:
Patrick Bailey is a professional writer mainly in the fields of mental health, addiction, and living in recovery. He attempts to stay on top of the latest news in the addiction and the mental health world.
His enjoyment comes from writing about these topics to help break the stigma that is associated with them.
The opinions and views of our guest contributors are shared to provide a broad perspective of addictions. These are not necessarily the views of Weight Hope, but an effort to offer a discussion of various issues by different concerned individuals.
Published on February 8, 2019
Reviewed by Jacquelyn Ekern, MS, LPC on February 8, 2019
Published on WeightHope.com